Akuji
by Phoenix73182
Summary: Completed: A girl with no past comes to the dojo...Her mind is unstable and she is running from a dangerous gang...Now Sano and Kenshin have to keep her from danger as one of them falls for her.
1. Chapter One::Stumbling through the night

Sano sat alone at a table in the rear of the Akabeko sipping on sake in a world of his own. It was near closing and Tae was making sure that the customers were clearing out without giving the girls any problems. She hurried by Sano after the last customer left, took the curtain down from over the outside of the door and locked it. She slowly walked over to where Sano sat by himself lost deep in his own thoughts. She hesitated for a moment, said nothing, then wraped a comforting arm around his shoulders and gave him a squeeze. "Don't worry about the sake tonight Sano, it's on the house," she said giving him a warm smile. He stared ahead not even acknowledging that Tae had her arm around his shoulders or was even talking to him. She took her arm from around him and walked over to Tsubame, told her to bring Sano another bottle of sake, then continued to the back of the restaurant. 

Tsubame lagged behind Tae, heading to the kitchen. She looked around, saw that the cooks already went home, then walked over to the area where the sake bottles were being warmed. She picked one out, put it on a tray then walked over to the tea counter and picked up some cookies. She smiled to herself thinking that he may be grateful for at least something sweet. 

She returned to the main part of the restaurant, careful not to spill any sake or loose a cookie. She greeted Sano with a warm smile as she put the tray onto the table. "Here, let me clear this stuff up for you," she said taking the empty bottles from the table. He didn't react, just sat there staring sipping on his sake. Her smile didn't waver one bit as she turned to bring the bottle back to the kitchen area. Her face lost it's smile when she brought to bottles over the young man washing the last of the dishes. Sano hadn't moved from that spot since he walked into the Akabeko three hours ago. 

She returned to Sanos table as he reached for the new bottle she had brought out to him, "Please, let me pour it for you," she said smiling warmly again. He looked up briefly to her face and nodded to her in response putting his left hand back into his lap. She poured him another cup as Tae came back from checking on everything in the back of the restaurant. She carried a bucket with rags and started to wipe down all the tables. A few other girls emerged from the back of the restaurant with brooms and cloths to wipe the floor down with. 

Tsubame sat herself down across from Sano looking into his face that seemed to be covered with darkness so thick she couldn't see anything but. He looked up briefly when the sound of something breaking was heard from the back of the Akabeko. "Gomenasai Makoto," was heard faintly and everyone went back to cleaning and Sano was back into his dark shadows. 

"Sano, please have one of the cookies I brought out for you. You should try and eat something," she said, her smile fading slightly. Tsubame looked at him with worry on her face then slipped from out of the booth so she could help clean. Sano just sat there staring, not seeing anything that was going on in front of him. 

The girls chatted about things that went on during the day, nothing much, just how slow the day had been, or how much each girl had made for the day. Two of the older girls talked about walking home together. Tsubame helped with wiping down the floors and they were done ten minutes later. 

Tae walked over to Sano, and though she hated to do it, had to ask him to leave so the girls could all go home. 

"Eeeto...," she started, hesitating to have to do it. Sano looked up with glazed over eyes in response. "Sanosuke-san...We will be all leaving for the night and I have to escort Tsubame-chan home so...," she didn't finish what she was going to say because Sano got out from where he was sitting, put his hands in his pockets and started for the back of the Akabeko to leave out the backdoor. Tae followed him to the back with a worried look on her face and saw him out. She walked back to where the girls where putting the chairs up off the floor for the night and walked over to Tsubame. She bent over slightly and whispered into her ear, "Go to the dojo. Tell Kenshin he has left here." Tsubame nodded in response and followed Tae to the front door, where she unlocked it for the small girl to run to the dojo to tell Kenshin what was happening. 

~~~~~ 

Kenshin paced around the room thinking to himself that Sano would be okay, he was with Tae right now. At least he knew where he was. Although that was true, he couldn't sleep. His night robe made a soft swishing sound as he paced around thinking that there should have been something that he could have done to prevent this from happening. He walked over to his futon, picked up his kimono and decided to go to the Akabeko to see how Sano was doing. He dressed as quick as he possibly could, and put his hair back into a low ponytail. 

He walked out of the room and proceeded to walk out to the courtyard of the dojo when he heard faint knocking on the front gate. He found his zori sandals and ran to see who it was hoping that it wasn't bad news about Sano. There were only three people that knew what happened, he being one of them. Kaoru and Yahiko had gone on a small trip with Megumi and wouldn't be back until tomorrow. They had gone away to Kyoto to visit with Misao and to have a small outing to get some supplies for the medical clinic. Megumi insisted that Kyoto had this one special thing that she had to go there to get, so it turned into a short vacation for the three of them. 

Kenshin hastily unlocked the door in the brightly shinning moonlight that hung all around him making things sluggish and odd with shadows. Tsubame stood before him holding no lantern and still wearing her Akabeko uniform. He knew it then, Sano had left there. 

"Do you know where he was headed," Kenshin asked turning around to go back to his room for his sword, not giving a chance for Tsubame to speak. 

"He didn't say one word Himura-san. He said hardly anything to Tae the entire time he was there." 

He let his zori fall off in a untidy heap and made a dash for his quarters, scooped his sword up and put it into his hakama pants belt as he stepped back into his sandals. "Which direction did he go in?" 

Tsubame thought for a moment trying to get her bearings, "Eeeto...I think he when West." 

Kenshin thought for a moment about what was West of the Akabeko and decided he must of headed home. "Arigato Tsubame-chan. You have been a big help with this whole thing. Shittireishimasu." He half ran half jogged to the part of town where Sanos one room housing was located. He passed by a few drunks, none of them Sano. He came to his place and saw no light on inside, then proceeded inside to see if he was home or not. 

~~~~~ 

Sano walked down the deserted street looking down at his feet with his hands in his pockets. He looked up into the night sky just as the silent tears started to blur his vision. He swore under his breath at himself and violently wiped the tears away. 

A man watched the scene play out from a dark alleyway, contemplating to himself if getting himself beat by a man like that was worth the few yen he way win from the bloody fight. He slinked back into the darkness, deciding that weaker looking person was more his type. 

Sano walked on stumbling here and there from his own emotional unstability rather then too much to drink. He walked out onto one of the main roads that ran parallel to the river and made his way over to the soft inviting grass near the banks of it. He sat by the river watching the fireflies cast small bursts of light that bounced off the water like stars. He wouldn't let it bother him...but...it had gotten him worse off and unprepared for it in the end. Silent tears ran down his face again as he finally let his emotions go. They dripped off his chin like rain water. He didn't bother to wipe them away, that would just make it more obvious that he was crying. 

"Right about now," he thought, watching two fireflies blink through the air, blurred by his tears, "Kenshin is probably at my place looking for me." 

He stood up and walked further up stream. He didn't want him to find out where he was. He didn't need Kenshin around him right now. He didn't care how much he knew what he was going through. He needed this time to himself to contemplate what he was going to do. He knew it was all his fault anyway. All of the blame was on him and he just had to clear his head before it ate him alive. Her last words droned into him like a hot knife. He shook his head violently trying to get them out. 

~~~~ 

Kenshin yelled out, "Please excuse me, I'm coming in," then opened the sliding door to Sanos one room bachelor pad. He looked around in the little visibility there was, and saw that no one was there. He frowned and walked back out of the apartment, closed the door then sat down in front of it thinking where to look next. 


	2. Chapter Two::Setsuna Arrives

_She walked down the bustling street full of smiling faces and silent pickpockets. Avoiding large crowds of people, she ducked down alleys and stayed to the side of the road as much as possible. She was in a hurry and didn't want to be caught in a crowd of people she knew she wouldn't be able to get through. He knew that she was in Tokyo so she needed to get to the safe house as soon as she could. The police had given her an address of a dojo that would be more then glad to take her in for the next few weeks until they found the man after her. A man living with the head of the dojo was connected to the police so she just needed to show him the letter that the chief of police had written for him. They told her that he was the infamous Hitokiri Battousai. No much to go by, but, atleast she new that he had a cross shape scar on his left cheek and red hair. _

_Out of breath she stopped momentarily at a vegetable stand to buy some things to offer the people that she would be staying with. She didn't have to much money but she would feel guilty if she didn't arrive with something to offer for the burden she would be placing on them. _

_After picking out as much as she could buy, she took the wrapped vegetables under her arm and ran down the nearest alley. She stopped short so fast she fell onto her butt with a hard thud. There he was, right in front of her. Her eyes were wide with fear as she struggled to get footing to get up and run. _

_"I don't think so," the man said stepping forward, his western dress shoes catching the little bit of light that shone into the alley from the direction that she came in. He pushed aside his long black trench coat to reveal a long Chinese style sword, which he drew from it's sheath in one quick motion. _

_She tried to scream but the sound choked out of her throat in a low groan. She finally got herself standing and backed up into another person that appeared behind her. She jumped and jerked her head up to see who came to join her would be killer to finish off the job. _

_The man behind her stood at least six foot, wore white clothes trimmed in black, no shirt but had his abdomen bandaged as if he had been recently injured. His hair was black and messy. He looked like a street punk to her, perhaps, a guy low on cash that was paid to help kill her off. _

_The man in white stepped forward moving her behind himself acting like a shield. She noticed that he had a red bandanna type thing tied around his head and the kanji aku on his back. Perhaps he was part of a Tokyo gang. The man now stood between her and the man in western clothes. "Get out of here," he yelled over his shoulder to her. _

_What's going on here, she thought, Why was this man helping me out like this. I don't even know him._

_She came to her senses and put the vegetables down out of the way and pulled throwing daggers out of the sleeves of her kimono. She got herself ready to attack just as her rescuer ran forward and attacked the man with the sword. In under ten seconds the man who tried to kill her was a bloody mess in the alley way. She stood there in awe, not knowing what to say or do._

_The man who just saved her put his hands into his pockets and turned around looking thoroughly pissed off. "You need to be more careful," he said walking past her out of the alley and disappearing into the crowd of people shopping. She put her daggers back into their holster, scooped up her vegetables, then ran out of the alley. Surely a man that tall would be easily seen in Japan. Looking down both sides of the street he was no where to be found. She brushed it off knowing now she had no time left to get to the safe house._

~~~~~ 

Kenshin stood up from the dust covered ground and knocked the dirt from his kimono and hakama. He decided he needed to just patrol the parts of Tokyo that Sano often visited. He wondered if he may have gone to the cemetary on the outskirts of town, so that seemed to be the best place to start. 

Clouds started to slowly cover the bright full moon dimming the only light that he had to go by. He looked up at the sky briefly, then turned his gaze back to the road ahead of himself. The sounds of crickets and cicada filled his ears as he walked down the deserted road. He pulled the poket watch, which Kaoru gave him for his Birthday, out of his left kimono sleeve and checked the time. It was now 12:13 AM. He remembered what she had said to him as he opened the box, "Maybe now that you know what time of day it is you'll remember MY Birthday." He all about fell over after she said that. It wasn't his fault he couldn't remember dates. 

A small smile crossed his face as his mind wandered from the pressing matter at hand to Kaoru now away in Kyoto. He shook the plesent thoughts from his head and tried to get his focus back onto finding Sano. He walked out to the main road that ran parallel with the river and turned to the left, unknowingly in the oposite direction his friend had gone in. 

~~~~~ 

_She looked at the plaque that was nailed onto the wall near the door. She read it knowing happily that she had finally found where she was headed. As soon as she settled in here, she was going to start to ask around town about her hero. Perhaps the man she was supose to find at the dojo knew something about him. After all, the guy that saved her did look like trouble. _

_She knocked loudly on the double wooden doors to the dojo. She put her right ear against the wood and listened for any signs of life from the other side. Hearing nothing for almost a minute, she knocked again just as loud. Again she put her ear against the door, but this time heard a faint voice calling to her, "Coming!"_

_She stood up, straighted her kimono, dusted herself off, and tried to look presentable. A moment later a girl about her age opened the door to the dojo. She stood a few inches shorter then herself and was dressed up in hakama pants with a kimono. She was sweaty and looked like she may have been giving lessons to some students. _

_"I'm Kamiya Kaoru, the Assitant Master of this dojo. Are you interested in getting lessons," the girl asked with hope in her eyes._

_"Actualy, I'm looking for a Himura Kenshin. I was told that I could find him here." Kaoru looked at the girl with disapointment in her eyes and motioned her inside. _

_"He's actualy out at the moment, but, maybe I can help you," she asked leading her to the porch that wraped all around the outside of the dojo. She removed her zori and the unknown girl took off her geta. _

_"Eeto...I have a letter for him...and...he may be able to explain it better after he reads it. I don't know if I should tell you incase he declines...what I need to ask of him. Oh, I haven't intruduced myself. I'm Setsuna. Just Setsuna; I have no family name...," she said trailing off and looking away from Kaoru. Her eyes became glazed over with sadness, she blinked then looked back at her. "Gomenasai Kamiya-san." _

_Kaoru smiled. "It's okay, none of my business I'm sure." She said leading Setsuna into the sitting room and motioned for her to sit down. "Please wait here, I'll go get some tea," she said leaving the room._

_Setsuna took the letter out of her kimono and turned it over in her hands looking it over. It was addresed to Himura Kenshin. She admired the kanji in his first name. It meant 'the spirit of the sword.' She was told that he is the best swordsman in Japan. She hoped that the chief was right._

_"It looks like we have a guest," she heard a male voice say behind her. This was it. The Battousai stood behind her, the cold blooded man that killed without thought. She turned around to see a short, rather thin man, with long red hair pulled back into a low pony tail, standing there smiling at her. He had a cross shaped scar on his left cheek and a dark blue kimono on. _

_She smiled weakly back at him then looked back down at the letter, then back at the man standing before her. She couldn't help herself. It wouldn't stay inside her. She laughed. Hard and loud. She knew it was him. She could feel his sword spirit from where she sat. Tears rolled down her face as the man looked at her very confused. She finally stood up, trying to control herself, and handed him the letter. _

_"Oro?" He opened the letter addressed to him and read it. His face changed from confused to serious instintanously after seeing the handwriting of the police chief. _

__**Himura-san-**

**It is very important that the girl who has handed you this letter stay with you for a few weeks. Her life is in danger, but that is all I can tell you at this time without things becoming more complicated. Her name is Setsuna and she has no family to speak of. You will be hearing from me again in a few days at a location that I will disclose to you soon. **

**This girl knows some key information on bringing down the biggest threat to Japan, but, they know that she has this information and will stop at nothing to kill her. You must take the task of watching over her. I have my faith in you and her life in your hands.**

****_The letter was unsigned, but Kenshin didn't need to confirmation that it really was from the chief. He folded the letter back up and looked at Setsuna. Her hair was a mess, her kimono had seen better days...and from how she smelled...needed a bath. He looked at her for real and could sense something about her that he just couldn't place._

_"Kenshin, okairinasai," said Kaoru holding a tray with tea and cakes. _

_"Tadaima," said kenshin back to her with a small smile. He took the tray from her and walked into the sitting room, put the tray onto the floor and sat down. Setsuna followed suit and Kaoru had turned on her heel and was going back to the actual dojo. _

_"Kaoru, you may want to hear about this also," he called to her turned back. _


	3. Chapter Three::Truth of the smile

_Setsuna sat in the back room of the dojo looking out the window at the cherry trees. They had already bloomed months before and she had missed it. Nevertheless, the trees reminded her of that day anyway. With a glazed over look on her face she made her way over to the door leading out of the room. She slid it open and turned right, down the hall to her temporary bedroom. Her breathing became labored slightly as an anxiety attack came on suddenly. She clutched her chest and opened the door to her room with her right hand. She walked in slowly and slid the door shut behind herself.   
They wouldn't take me any other way...I don't need pity from them, she thought undoing her obi bow. She let it fall to the floor in a heap and removed her yukata robe. She looked at it in her hands staring through it. Tears slid down her face and she made no effort to wipe them away. Kaoru was so happy here. Her life was perfect. She had everything she would ever need. She dropped the yukata robe without even realizing it and walked over to where she had put her few belongings. She picked up the leather holster that held all her throwing daggers and picked one out. She examined it in the sunlight that filled the room. She looked up at the window and blankly stared at it. Her face was expressionless as if she wasn't even in her body anymore. She walked over and closed the window, drawing the shade. Her body slid into a heap on the floor and she pushed back the sleeves of her under robe. She examined the pale skin she revealed.   
No, not again, she thought, I won't do it again. I can't, it's wrong. She sat up off the floor and removed her under robe. Setsuna now sat in just her under garments of a shirt and a slip, her milky white arms exposed. She had pale pink cuts that ran the entire length of her arms. She traced them with the dagger in a daze. No, I can't...  
There were footsteps in the hallway walking towards her room. She was so engulfed in her own world she didn't hear Kenshin calling to her through the paper door. Getting no response from Setsuna, Kenshin let himself in. "Gomen kudasai," he called then slid the door open to reveal to him Setsuna huddled under the window cutting into the flesh of her arms. The expression on her face was blank, almost like the face of a corpse.   
I can't do this...it's wrong...  
"Setsuna-dono! Dame!" Kenshin ran to her and grabbed the dagger from her left hand. She looked up still in her daze of near death, she stared right through Kenshin as if he weren't even there. Kenshin looked into her eyes seeing that she wasn't looking at him, she was looking at whatever nightmare was going on in her mind.  
"Setsuna-dono..."  
The blood ran down her arms soaking into her white slip. She stared blankly at him, tears running down her face again.   
"I...can't....stop it...," she said, her eyes focusing on Kenshin, finally coming out of her daze. "I can't make it stop!" She fell into Kenshins arms and started to cry in sobs, her body shaking.   
Kenshin put his arms around her returning the embrace, thoroughly worried about her mental health. Kaoru came by the room looking for both Kenshin and Setsuna, seeing only Kenshin embracing a near naked Setsuna. She didn't see the blood, only the fact that he was holding Setsuna in his arms. She backed out of the door way just as Kenshin turned his head to see who was standing there. "Kaoru-dono..."   
She turned and ran down the hall, tears forming in her eyes. How could he do that to her, she thought.   
Kenshin turned back to Setsuna who had calmed down a bit. "Can you stand?" She looked up into his face and nodded yes. He got himself onto the balls of his feet and helped Setsuna stand, worried more about Setsunas well-being, then of what Kaoru thought she saw moments ago.   
He put an arm around Setsunas waist to steady her in case she lost a lot of blood. He helped her walk out of the room and took her down the hallway in the direction Kaoru ran in. He entered the dojos training room seeing that Kaoru had taken refuge there with tears in her eyes. She turned around and saw Setsuna covered in blood, the substance still dripping from the wounds on her arms. Kaoru let out an inaudible gasp and ran over to where Kenshin stood in the doorway. She felt incredibly stupid for jumping to conclusions like that. She took Setsuna from Kenshins arms and helped her to sit on the floor.  
"I'm going to go get Megumi or Gensai Sensei," said Kenshin sprinting out of the dojo.   
"Kaoru...," said Setsuna weakly looking up at her, "I wish I were dead." Kaoru didn't know how to respond, but embraced Setsuna laying her head on her right shoulder. Setsuna began to weep again bringing her hands to cover her face. Every time she thought about what she had done that night five years ago, it wouldn't let her remember peacefully. She wished that she never remembered it at all.   
~~~~~  
Kenshin ran down the streets dodging people as best he could without running anyone over. Luckily it was nearing sunset and most of the crowds had gone home for the evening.   
He burst through the clinics front doorway, stopping to catch his breath as he leaned against the wooden frame. Megumi looked up from where she stood in the waiting room sweeping the floor. She dropped her broom suddenly running over to him, "Ken-san are you..."  
"Megumi, you need to come with me to the dojo," he said cutting her off still leaning on the door frame. He wiped seat off his brow and wiped it on his hakama pants.   
"What happened?"  
"I'm not really sure what was going on but, I think the girl that came to the dojo today was trying to kill herself."   
Megumi looked at him with a frightened sad look on her face, knowing all to well how much she had wanted to do the same after what she had done...she never wanted to make opium and it cost Sano a friend.   
"I'll grab some stuff and we can get there right away." She ran to where her medical bag was.  
"She cut up her arms pretty badly Megumi, I'm afraid that I may have found her too late...," said Kenshin jogging after Megumi to the back of the clinic.   
She grabbed her bag, whirled around knocking Kenshin onto the floor, and ran out of the clinic toward the dojo.   
"Oro...," said a swirly eyed Kenshin sprawled out on the floor. He got himself up and ran after Megumi who already had a good lead on him.  
~~~~~  
Setsuna passed out in Kaorus arms, her eyes puffy and red from crying. "Just hold on a little longer Setsuna-chan," said Kaoru holding her unmoving body.   
Megumi exploded into the dojo yelling for Kaoru. "In the training room Megumi," she called to her as loud as she possibly could. Moments later Megumi came into the room with her face flushed from running all the way from the clinic. "Lay her on the floor Kaoru," said Megumi opening her medical bag and removed some gauze.   
Suddenly they heard, "Oi! Jou-chan, you home!"   
Some timing, thought Kaoru smacking her forehead. Why did he have to show up now...all she needed was him to come in here and mess something up...  
"Kenshin, Yahiko! Where is everyone?"  
Kenshin walked into the courtyard moments later with blood all over his kimono, presenting the same scary scene that he did to Megumi.   
Sano turned around after hearing the dojos door open and saw Kenshin with blood all over himself. "Kenshin! Daijoubu," yelled Sano running over to his friend.  
"It's not me who is hurt Sano. It's a long story but, we have a young girl staying with us now. She's your age I think...She tried to kill herself. I'm afraid to go into the dojo...I'm responsible for her. I was asked to watch after her...to make sure that...," he trailed off thinking that he just failed everyone. He couldn't have know though, that she was so unstable.   
Megumi showed up on the porch that wrapped around the dojo, blood on her hands. She saw Kenshin talking with Sano. She smiled weakly, because she was about to send Kenshin out to go find him. Setsuna needed a blood transfusion or she would die. The only think was, was too small, Kaoru was already messed up from what happened and may go into shock, and she didn't want to use her own blood because she would be very weak from it. She had to tend to the clinic since there had been so many people coming in the past week...Sano was a big guy, he could handle it.  
"Sanosuke-kun," said Megumi with a sheepish grin on her face.   
"Huh?" said Sano confused, looking at Megumi like she had four heads. "Did you just call me..."  
"Yes, I did you idiot now get your butt in here. I'm going to need a pint of blood to save this girl, and you just volunteered," she said walking back inside so he couldn't bring up an argument. Not that he would have. This was someone's life here.   
He shoved his hands in his pockets, slipped his shoes off and grumbled all the way into the training room of the dojo. Megumi had already set up the needles and tube for the transfusion.   
Setsuna lay on the floor unconscious, her arms bandaged past her elbows. Megumi snipped away part of the bandages at her right wrist, and put the needle into one of her veins.   
"Sano, sit over her please," she motioned to her right, and checked the tube that was connected to the needle for any cracking. Sano acted like it was painful to do so, but was really a bit scared. He didn't want this girl to die. Kenshin had some sort of responsibility for her. It would rip him apart if anything happened to her. He sat down where Megumi told him to and removed his jacket. He sat there bare chested holding out his left arm looking straight ahead of himself so he wouldn't have to watch Megumi stick the needle into his arm. She did no more then prick his skin and he jumped, yelping at her. "That hurts!"  
"Sit still you bafoon and it won't," she yelled back at him. She grabbed his arm at the elbow and just shoved the needle in not caring if it hurt or not. Sano made the same yelping noise and glared at her.   
He finally looked down at the girl that lay on the floor and his eyes widened with disbelief. It was the girl he saved from that bastard in the alleyway.   
Kaoru saw the look on his face and snickered. He was such a tough guy, but, he couldn't stand the pain of a needle in his arm.   
Sano sat there dumb founded. He didn't know what to make of the situation. He wasn't about to jump to conclusions. He was sure Kenshin or Megumi would have a long talk with her about this after she was back to normal. Then he could panic. He just didn't want to hear from Kenshin, "Oh, some guy saved her life and she felt so ashamed she wanted to die..." Sano just hopped beyond hope that what he did earlier that day didn't cause this to happen.  
~~~~~_  



	4. Chapter Four::The Past Remembered

Authors note:****

**__**Nornal text = the present 

**Bold = written articles: letters, newspaper clippings, etc.**

_Italic = the stuff that happened leading up to the stuff in normal text._ _(flash back)_

**_Bold/italic = Setsunas past_** **_(flash back)_**

**_~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~_**

**_"Here's your tea dear," Setusna said placing the steaming cup in front of her husband. He was reading the local newspaper and didn't even look up from his article. She smiled at him and tousled his hair. He looked up and gave her a look of, I'm going to get you back later. _**

**_She smiled again and returned to the small kitchen. She had been so happy the past 7 months. No more wandering from dojo to dojo trying to prove herself anymore. She had stopped at a Juu Jitsu school those many months ago. Strangely enough that is where she had meet him. Most of the men at the school complained about a woman attending a school as prestigious as their Masters. Setsuna never let it get to her. After getting shit from the men at the first five schools she had attended, she didn't let it bother her. In the end, they were the fools. He had been there for her from the beginning. Samanosuke had shown her around town, told her about certain guys not to tangle with, things like that. He had looked after her as best he could, said it was something he had to do or he wasn't a real man. She had laughed at him long and hard at that one. She could remember the confused face she got after that. He looked so cute that way... _**

**"Prove to me that you're the man who can protect me better then myself," she added after her laughter fit stopped.**

**"Okay then, I challenge you to a match tomorrow after dinner," he said with a weary smile on his face. From what he had heard about her, she was a assistant master at a sword school, and had attended some 20 or more of them. **

**"Agreed then. I hope you don't wimp out on me. You need to give me a good fair fight. Don't think of me as female, think of me as just another opponent." She walked away from him, saying nothing else. **

**That next evening was filled with cheering, laughter and a Samanosuke almost beaten by a girl. She was way to good to have just started Juu Jitsu. She had mastered some techniques that had taken him much longer to learn. In the end though, he cleared the anger from his mind, and defeated her. He couldn't believe it. She was so strong he almost knew for sure at the beginning of the fight that he would surely loose. **

**"You had us worried Samanosuke!"**

**"I can't believe that she almost took your stupid ass down!"**

**He slipped out of the dojo, knowing his fellow students wouldn't let him get away with almost being beat by her...or better yet even, beating her in the match. Samanosuke walked out of the dojo and sat down in front of the Koi pond watching the fish swim about lazily. The sun wasstarting to set in the west and the crickets had started their songs. He sat there thinking for about twenty minutes, trying to think of a formal way toapologize to Setsuna. He felt it was bad of him to hurt her to the point of bleeding.**

**"Sama-kun?"**

**He turned around to see Setsuna standing behind him, a few bandages on her hands and face. He stood up, put his right hand behind his head, and looked away from her. "I...um...uh...," he stuttered not finding the words to apologize to her. She walked over to him with a big smile on her face and took his left hand in hers. He looked up at her blushing. "Come have tea with me in the dojo Sama-kun." She smiled at him and ran off to the dojo. He knewthat it was inevitable to hide his feelings now. He had loved her ever since she showed up at the dojo. She was beautiful, yet strong. She was independent, but kind. **

**He followed her into the dojo, which was surprisingly empty of all the stupid guys that were just in there moments ago. She sat on the floor with a tea tray in front of herself. He sat down in front of her, getting a small hint of the perfume she had recently put on. **

**How could I have not noticed that when she was outside moments ago...he thought taking a tea cup in his hand. It was now or never, he thought, no one is around and the guys can't crack on me.**

**"Setsuna-dono...I um...would like to tell you something."**

**She looked up from her tea with a gentle smile on her lips. "Sure, what is it?"**

**He looked into his tea, not sure how to tell her...not even sure if he should. Samanosuke looked up into her eyes, "Boku...boku..." Hejust couldn't get it out of himself. He swallowed hard, looked away from her smiling face again and started over. **

**"I really...uh...like you a lot Setsuna..."** **He couldn't finish what he was trying to say because she had leaned over and kissed him gently on the lips. He was surprised, but returned the kiss, putting his hands around the sides of her slim waist.... **

**_Setsuna shook her head and smiled..._**

**_"No more daydreaming." She looked down at her stomach and rubbed her hands over it gently. She was now married for three months to Samanosuke and expecting their first child together. She was so happy to be carrying his child in her womb. She had never thought of herself as a Mother, but, she wanted to have a family with him. She was two months along and her friends at the dojo had cracked on her and Samanosuke about not wasting any time. She always blushed, and he always joked right back._**

**_She finished the dishes from that evenings dinner, dried her hands on a towel, and walked back out of the kitchen to the sitting room where her husband was still engrossed with the newspaper. There was a knock at the door, she turned away from her husband, walking to answer it..._**

_~~~~~_

_Kenshinsat in the hot bath inside the dojo thinking about Setsuna. One day had passed and she hadn't come around for more then fifteen minutes. Megumi had been by earlier in the day and told him about it:_" She woke up around noon. I asked her some simple questions like, 'Do you know what your name is', and she just stared at the ceiling. I tried to talk to her about anything and she just stared up at the ceiling. I don't think she is ready to talk to anyone right now about what happened yesterday. I think she may have shock or something like that right now. I'll have her rest for the week, then maybe someone can talk to her." 

_Megumi was probably right, Setsuna had to have gone into shock. The face that she had when he found her was still transfixed in his mind. He tried to think of better things and kept coming back to the previous evening. _

_Sano had given Setsuna enough blood to stay alive, but, it would be quite some time before she could leave the clinic with enough strength to carry out normal activities. _

_Speaking of Sano, I was suppose to go visit him today in the clinic. He got out of the tub, grabbed a few towels he had brought in, dried off, then walked into the connecting room to dress_


	5. Chapter Five::The fox, the drunk and Set...

Authors note:****

**__**Nornal text = the present 

**Bold = written articles: letters, newspaper clippings, etc.**

_Italic = the stuff that happened leading up to the stuff in normal text._ _(flash back)_

**_Bold/italic = Setsunas past_** **_(flash back)_**

**_~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~_**

_"Stop it, that hurts," screamed Sano at Megumi. _

_"Like I have to repeat myself. You need fluids to help with the loss of blood. Now hold still you free loading drunk." _

_Megumi stuck the IV needle into his arm, ignoring his cries of pain and anger. He was also mad at her because she had been keeping him in the clinic so that he wouldn't run off and drink. She had told him that he couldn't have any alcohol for three days and that started the whole argument. She tied the IV onto his arm with some gauze and walked out of the room. _

_Sano still had the look of pain and anger thickly coated on his face. He looked around the room from the bed he sat up on and leaned back against the pillows putting his arms behind his head._

_"Ita...stupid needle," he mumbled when it moved in his vein poking him. He looked over at Setsuna laying in the bed next to him sleeping during all the commotion that was going on. He hated her for trying to take her life, the same way he had gotten angry at Megumi when she tried it. _

_"Chi...." he looked out the window and watched some birds on the tree picking at the bark for bugs. He just wanted to get out of there. It was creepy in the room with Setsuna. It almost seemed like he was sharing it with a corpse. He had been there getting an IV when she woke up the first and only time. Megumi might as well talked to the tree outside the window. She would have gotten a better response from it. _

_He heard movement from Setsunas bed and he looked over to see her sitting up holding her head at the temple with her right hand. She looked around the room and saw Sano sitting there with the IV in his arm shocked to meet her savior like this. She knew that she was in some sort of medical building, but why was he here?_

_"Baka...," he said to her then looked up at the ceiling putting his arms behind his head, forgetting about the IV again. "ITA! Damn it Megumi!"_

_Setsuna watched the scene play out and snickered covering her mouth with her right hand. Sano ignored her, not like she wanted to start something with him. _

_Megumi walked in the door wanting to know what Sano was yelling about and saw right away that Setsuna was up and coherent. She walked over to her bed and sat down on the left edge, made a face at Sano and turned to Setsuna to talk to her. _

_"Do you know why you're here?"_

_"Of course I do......not that I want to remember. It takes the pain away most of the time, but, when I started it wouldn't leave...," she trailed off and stopped looking at Megumi and now her gaze was out the window at the tree._

_Megumi was confused at the fact that she had done this before. She put a arm around Setsunas shoulder and gave her a squeeze. "If it would make you feel better, you can talk to me later after that street punk leaves to go to home," she said giving Sano a dirty look that said, Don't even think about bad mouthing this poor girl. She would take the chance of sending Sano home two days early, just to find out the whole truth of this girl._

_"I don't mind if he's here," said Setsuna turning to Sano. "I'd like to have him be the first person to hear anyway." _

_Megumi was shocked. Why would she want to talk to Sano about what happened rather then a doctor? She looked over at Sano who somehow did a good enough job of trying not to look interested. He looked over with just his eyes and quickly returned them to the ceiling. He was acting rather strange for a guy who hated people who tried to take their lives. _

_She got a evil grin on her face, put her hand in front of her mouth and laughed silently. Megumi could see why...it was obvious now. He thought she was cute. She stood up from the bed and turned to face Setsuna. "Well, I'll leave you two alone then." She walked out the door with a stupid grin on her face getting an angry look from Sano. _

_"I'm so sorry you had to see me like this...uh..."_

_"Sagara Sanosuke."_

_"Oh, are you related to Sagara Sozo?" _

_"None of your business I think," he said looking over to her, still lounging on the bed with his arms behind his head. _

_"I was just interested because my father fought with him during the war. He was massacred by the government...but I'm sure you knew what happened right?_

_He put his arms down, sat up and swung his legs over the side of the bed. "Yeah, I was there," with a grave look on his face. _

_"I'm so sorry Sagara-san. I didn't know..."_

_"Not many people do or care," he said looking into her eyes. For some reason he saw that she must genuinely ache for him, having to actually be there on that fated day. She had lost her father on that day, but why was it that she had to bring that up? _

_She made a weak smile at him then turned to the window. She wanted to thank him here she decided. They were going to have to share the room the next three days if Megumi had her way. She slowly took the sheets off herself and swung her legs off the side of the bed putting her bare feet onto the cold wooden floor. _

_"Oi, where do you think you're going jou-chan?"_

_"To get something...," she said standing up as best she could. She got a little dizzy, but was able to steady herself. She walked slowly over to the chair on the other side of the room and put on the slippers and house coat that lay on it. She picked up a ribbon that just happened to be laying on the dresser next to the chair and braided her long hair. She tied the red ribbon on to the end and made her way to the doorway._

_Sano just watched her walk out the door making sure she wasn't going to fall flat on her face, then became disinterested when she finally walked into the hallway. He lounged himself back out on the bed and closed his eyes._

_Setsuna turned down the hallway towards the clinics front area. She was sure she could find Megumi faster by looking for her. She wasn't so uncivilized to just yell through the clinic for her. She stumbled slightly, becoming light headed again. She fell to her knees as she became even more dizzy then she was and blacked out, falling to a heap on the floor hitting her head with a loud thud. _

_Sano heard the noise from the hallway, sighed, swore, then got out of bed. He grabbed the IV needle and ripped it out of his arm so he could go see if Setsuna was trying to kill herself, no pun intended. _

_He peeked his head out of the room to see her laying in a crumpled pile. He walked over with his hands in his pockets, shook his head then bent down to pick her up. Megumi heard the noise and came into the hallway from the room she was in tending to another person. _

_Sano picked her up and slung her over his shoulder and turned to put her back into her bed. _

_"Sanosuke!"_

_He turned around to see a very unhappy fox lady looking at both of them. He looked at her just waiting to see steam come out of her ears. _

_"What the hell are you doing out here! How could you let her get out of bed..." She stormed towards him ready to beat him over the head with nearest object. Be backed up into the room and quickly put her back onto her bed so he could defend himself from Megumi. _

_She walked by Sano, a vein in her forehead bulging. Setsuna was more of a concern to her at the moment. Megumi checked her out, seeing that she was forming a bruise on her forehead. I'll have to watch her if she hit her head hard enough. She left the room to get a rag and cold water to help stop the bruising on her head. _

_Sano walked over to Setsuna and looked at her. He squat down in front of her and put his face close to hers. "Baka..."_

_She opened her eyes, seeing Sano right in her face and freaked out. Sano screamed and fell onto his butt. He didn't expect her to wake up with him looking at her like that. She rolled over to her side and looked at Sano sitting on the floor on his butt. _

_"Daijoubu," she asked him snickering at his own stupidity. He looked at her with hate in his eyes that was turned into a look of hurt pride. He said nothing and got up, dusting his white pants off. _

_Megumi returned with cold water from the well and a rag. "Oh good, you're awake." She kneeled on the floor beside Setsunas bed and wet the cloth, then put it on the bruise. _

_"Why did you get out of bed. You could have just called to me or sent Sano to look for me..." She trailed off looking over to him, then changed her mind. He wasn't that good of a guy. At least not to her anyway. _

_"I'm going to get something to eat," Sano said leaving the room. Megumi looked up over the bed to protest to him, but he had already left the room. He had better not leave the clinic! She returned her attention to Setsuna, re-wetting the cloth with cold water._

_"Sensei..."_

_"Call me Megumi." She put the cloth back onto the bump forming under the bruised skin._

_"Megumi-san. Can you go to the dojo and bring something back for me?"_

_"Of course I can. What is it that you need?"_

_"I have a hair comb that I would like. It's in my room with my other belongings."_

_"I think Ken-san is coming by today. Maybe I'll send someone over to tell him to bring that with him." She smiled at her taking the cloth off again to re-wet it once more._


	6. Chapter Six::Udon soup for the soul

Authors note:****

Nornal text = the present (See chapter one) 

**Bold = written articles: letters, newspaper clippings, etc.**

_Italic = the stuff that happened leading up to the stuff in normal text._ _(flash back)_

**_Bold/italic = Setsunas past_** **_(flash back)_**

**_~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~_**

"I am lost So I am cruel But I'd be love and sweetness If I had you" 

MILK (c) 1995 Garbage 

"Somebody get me out of here I'm tearing at myself 

Nobody gives a damn about me Or anybody else" 

MEDICATION (c) 1998 Garbage 

_Kenshin tied his loincloth at the small of his back and proceeded to put on his kimono. He picked up the collar of the garment, held the back seem in line with his spine and picked the hem off the floor three inches. He let go of the back and grabbed either side of the robes collar and wrpaed it around himself. He secured it with his obi, which he tied it into a hideous looking knot, then picked up his hakama pants. He stepped into them and took the front stings into his hands tying them around his back. He did the same with the from but didn't bother with the formal tying of the bow. He smacked himself in the forehead suddenly remembering that he never put his tabi socks on. He always did that first. He slid them on his feet and hooked them shut on the side where his ankle bone was. His hair was wrapped up in a towel so that it didn't get wet in the tub. He took the towel off. He forgot to do that once and Sano had been standing in the hallway when he had walked out. "Uhh...I'll never live that one down degozarau..." His red hair cascaded down around his shoulders falling halfway down his back. He opened the door and proceeded into the hallway heading to his bedroom to tie his hair back. _

_He passed by the room Setsuna had been using, seeing Kaoru on her hands and knees scrubbing the walls. A few tatami mats had to have been thrown out and had been replaced that morning. They didn't want Setsuna to come back and have anymore flashbacks. _

_Kenshin walked partly into the doorway watching Kaoru. She had her kimono sleeves tied back with a tasuki cord and a scarf on her head. _

_"Kaoru-dono," she turned to face him almost jumping from her skin, "I'm going to be going to the clinic to check in on Sano and Setsuna. Would you like to come? Or, do you have anything that I need to pick up in that part of town?"_

_Kaoru stood up wiping sweat off her face. She dropped the rag she had been using into the bucket of hot water at her feet. "Can you pick up some daikon root and some tofu? I'll get you some money." She walked out the door with him following right behind. She went into her bedroom and got out a small purse with money in it. She took out ten yen and handed it to him, then put the purse away. _

_She then grabbed his kimono sleeve to make sure he had no holes in it. "Oro?..."_

_"Okay Kenshin, you're free to go now." She walked out of the room and went back to what she had been doing._

_~~~~~_

_Setsuna sat in bed with pillows behind her eating a bowl of hot udon soup. Sano sat in the bed next to hers slurping broth all over himself. He had been nice enough to go into the kitchen of the clinic, which was technicaly Gensai senseis house, and cooked to the best of hi ability, udon for both of them._

_She happily took the food from him and begain eating. She looked up from her soup over to Sano and smiled weakly. The soup was rather good. Although, it needed a bit more bonito soup base. She didn't complain, but slurped it as cleanly as she could. _

_Sano drank the broth left behind after the noodles were gone and put the bowl down on the bed. He got up from the bed and walked over to the window opening it letting a soft late summer breeze inside. He turned around and leaned against the window pane, turning his attention to Setsuna._

_"So, why did you do it?" He asked bluntly._

_She chewed the food in her mouth and put the bowl down resting her chopsticks on top of it. _

_"I don't think you would understand just why Sagara-san...," she said trailing off not looking at him._

_"You said to Megumi that you wanted to tell me first, now you don't want to talk about it at all?"_

_"It's not the time or place for it..."_

_"Bull fucking shit. Obviously you are pretty fucking screwed up here. I think you need to eventually tell someone. Perhaps you should talk to Kenshin about it if no one else." He glared at her with a look of pluzzlement and compassion that was almost unnoticeable. "He went threw some tough shit. I think he can relate at least to some of it, if not all of it..." he trailed off, turning around to look out the window. "I'm sorry." He turned around put his hands in his pockets and walked out of the room just as Megumi walked in. _

_"What was all the yelling about?"_

_"Nothing Megumi-san." Megumi stuck her head back out the door and watched as Sano walked to the front of the clinic. _

_"Don't even think about it Sano," she yelled running after him._

_Setsuna picked up the bowl of udon and just starred at it. Samanosuke had been like that some times. Angry with her when she wouldn't tell him what was bothering her. She always got a 'I'm sorry...', then he would be found in the dojo of the Juu Jitsu school beating up the practice dummy. She found him there once. He said that he could never live with himself when he got mad at her like that. She smiled into her bowl of udon as the sad past crept into her tear ducts to flow down her warm face. _

_~~~~~_

_Kenshin looked to the sky as he stepped out of the gates to the dojo. It was going to be another nice late summer day. A wind gust rustled though his hair, and caused wind chimes to play their music. _

_He didn't like it one bit. He was a person who could feel things about people and it was still bothering him. Why couldn't he feel the sickness that twisted through her veins? The only thing he could sense is that she possibly had some sword training. More like ninja tactics. He had seen the trowing daggers, they were very similar to the ones Misao carried. He was just baffled that she could hide inside herself so well. _

_He couldn't break this promise though. He had already broke one many years ago. He had promised Tomoe that he would protect her and in the end...he was the one to kill her. He couldn't let it go and now this was a second chance on keeping that promise. He would prove to himself and everyone who trusted him, that he could keep her alive. Even if he had to talk with her for months to get the truth out. He needed to know what made her go crazy suddenly. He wanted to help her, better then to his ability._

_He was going to try and talk with her when he got to the clinic, Sano also. He had, had a very strange look on his face when he finaly saw who he was giving his blood to. Perhaps her knows her from some place? He decided to talk to Sano first. He didn't want to stir up bad memories just yet with Setsuna. He wouldn't want a relapse to happen so quickly. He wasn't a doctor but, he knew that trying to get her to talk about it so soon after...may not be a very good idea after all. _

_Kenshin checked his sleeve to make sure he hadn't lost any of the money Kaoru gave him. She would have killed him if he showed up at the dojo with nothing for dinner and stating he lost her hard earned money on the way to guy the stuff. He found it was still there and enjoyed the breeze that blew through the air cooling off his skin. It was too hot for the end of August. Although, he would rather it be hot then snowing like mad out. The snow always mad him depressed. He would be damned if he would let Setusna die under the same circumstances as Tomoe. That just wasn't going to happen. He would risk everything to keep her alive. Especially since the chief of police hadn't even told him the whole story yet. He sighed and pulled his arms inside his kimono, resting them in the armholes. _

_A few children ran by him yelling at each other to wait up. He smiled at them as they ran out of sight down an alleyway. He had finally made it to the market place in town. Now to buy some daikon and tofu._

_~~~~~_

_Sano sat on the front porch of the clinic picking up stones and throwing them at a nearby tree. Megumi emerged behind him in the doorway with a scowl on her face. "What the hell did you say to her Sano? When I looked back into the room, she was in tears." She wanted to kick him right in the head and this time she had an open shot for it._

_He ignored her and chucked another stone at the tree. He didn't want to talk about it, especially if it meant telling Megumi about it. Megumi walked over and sat down next to him, all of the anger being drained from her face. She said nothing and just watched the rocks bounce off the tree bark. Sano ran out of rocks, put his elbows on his knees, and watched people walk by. _

_"I feel partly responsible for what happened to her...," he finaly said not looking at Megumi. "I meet her before...the incident at the dojo. She was in an alleyway being attacked by some guy. I intervened and kicked his ass. I turned around to leave and noticed she was holding throwing daggers. I'm just worried that I may have...hurt her pride."_

_Megumi fell to silence again, she didn't know what to say to him. Something like that wasn't a laughing matter even if it was Sano telling her this. she was almost nice enough to comfort him, but, was called inside by Gensai sensei. She got up not saying anything to him and walked back inside. She glanced back, hesitated then waked inside. "Coming!"_

_Sano sat there in silence. He was worried and mad that she didn't tell him what she was going through. It almost made him think that his worries were right and that's why she didn't want to talk all of a sudden. He stood up and walked back into the clinic. Maybe Megumi would let him get another room in the clinic...he couldn't stay in the same room with Setsuna if she hated him that much. _


	7. Chapter Seven::A vain attempt

Authors note:****

Nornal text = the present (See chapter one) 

**Bold = written articles: letters, newspaper clippings, etc.**

_Italic = the stuff that happened leading up to the stuff in normal text._ _(flash back)_

**_Bold/italic = Setsunas past_** **_(flash back)_**

**_~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~_**

**__**"She's not the kind of girl, who likes to tell the world, about the way she feels about herself...lately I'm not the only one, I say, never trust anyone..."****(c) 1995 Garbage**__**

**__**

**__**

_Kenshin walked up the small path that lead to the front porch of the clinic, noticing Sano sitting there. A warm smile spread across his face, as he readied himself to great his friend. His foot hit something hard, made him lose his balance and down he went. "OROoooo?!" He crashed face first into the ground, holding the daikon and tofu bucket above his head as to not squish either of them. He managed to save both, but, his face on the other hand was covered in blood from breaking his nose. He was so intent on saving the food he had bought that he didn't brace his fall. _

_Sano looked up with a faraway look in his eyes which soon changed to panic from seeing Kenshins face full of blood. "Kenshin, daijoubuka?" He ran to his friend, helped him off the ground, and took the food stuff from him. Megumi returned to the porch to continue her conversation with Sano only to find Kenshin full of blood. _

_"Ken-san!" She ran over to him giving him a quick examination and grabbed him by the arm leading him inside. Sano stood there looking down at the food he took from Kenshin and sighed. "I supose I should bring this back to the dojo..." He walked towards the road to make his way down to the dojo. _

_Megumi looked back out of the clinics front door to see Sano walking away. She told Kenshin to hold the rag on his nose and ran out of the door to catch up with Sano. "Oi, Rooster Head!" He stoped dead in his tracks and turned around slowly. "Nani?!" _

_"Are you going to the dojo?"_

_"No, I thought I'd take a stroll with some tofu and daikon..."_

_"Not like you could get a date with anything but."_

_"NANI?!"_

_"Could you do Setsuna a favor?"_

_"And what would that be?" His eyebrow now twitching from Megumis remark._

_"She has a comb that she wants brought back, can you get it for her?" _

_"Chi....I supose."_

_"Don't expect me to thank-you, she should be the one to do that." She turned and ran back to the clinic to tend to Kenshins broken nose. He mumbled something under his breath at her and re-started his walk to the dojo._

_ ~~~~~_

_Kaoru wiped the sweat from her brow and looked at the wall that she had been srubbing all morning. You could still see the stains no matter what she used on it. Perhaps she could put a decorative screen there... or maybe she could just get her lazy but over to the guy that makes paint and paint over it. Mooo...this was going to be quite the project. _

_She put the rag back into the bucket and wiped her hands on the apron she had finally put on. If Kenshin would only stop storing that stuff in his beadroom, maybe she would be able to find it when she needed it! She stood up, stumbled from her right leg falling alseep and fell into the table that Setsunas belongings were set on. "Iteee...." Her back screamed out in pain and most of the things had fallen off onto the floor. Today is not my day..._

_She got herself onto her knees and started to pick up the things that fell onto the floor. She grabbed a bundle of cloth and a book fell out, landed on the floor with a thud. It had opened itself to somewhere near the middle exposing sloppy handwriting. She realized then that it wasn't a book, but a journal. Kaoru picked it up and started to read without a thought to how wrong it was in doing so:_

__**June 1, Meiji ?**

**Here I am in yet another sword school. This will make it number twenty two after I leave. I'm going to be studying some western style of swordsmenship called "Fencing". Although I watched some of it today in the dojo...I don't think I will be here long. It will not help me much. I'll probably pick out a few things then move on. **

**The town I'm in seems like a nice place, although I have forgotten a lot of things like the year...and the towns name. They are never that important anyway...**

**I keep seeing him in my dreams now. It bothers me so much now that it's close to the time of year that it happened. I can't believe that I still let it hurt me so much, but, the monsters in my head just won't go away no matter how much blood I give to them. **

**It all started last year...**

****_A noise of someone walking down the hall froze her in fear as she still was reading the journal engrossed in it contents. Kaoru wrapped it back up in the piece of cloth and hurriedly put the items back onto the table. _

_"Oi, jou-chan...doko da?" _

_It was only Sano, wait why was he here?_

_She walked into the hallway confused to had returned with the foodstuff she had sent Kenshin out for. "Where's Kenshin?" _

_"At the clinic getting his nose re-set. He tripped over something and broke in a vain attempt to save this stuff." He handed the food to Kaoru who took it with a worried look on her face. _

_"Is he going to be okay?"_

_"I doubt a broken nose will keep him locked inside for a week jou-chan."_

_"You're right..." she trailed off and headed to the kitchen to put it away until it was time to make dinner. _

_Sano looked into Setsunas bedroom, knowing it was hers by the faint blood stains on the wall beneath the window that was in his direct view. He walked in, faintly feeling a stomach turning sick feeling that hung in the air. He hesitenetly walked over to the table with items skattered on top of it. He kneeled down and rumaged through the stuff looking for the comb. He finally found it stood up and walked out of the room._

_"Ne, Jou-chan...I'm going back to the clinic!" He got no answer for she never heard him, but left anyway. _

_After he got out into the sunlight he examined the comb. It looked like it was carved wood from a tre he didn't know, nor did he actualy care.He turned it over to see a small inscription on the back slightly worn from much use. it read: "To my dear Setsuna, Love Samanosuke". So she already had a man. Not like he gave two hoots. He shoved the comb into his pocket along with his hands and made his way through the crowds back to the clinic. _

__

__


	8. Chapter Eight::Blood and Electricity

Authors note:****

Nornal text = the present (See chapter one) 

**Bold = written articles: letters, newspaper clippings, etc.**

_Italic = the stuff that happened leading up to the stuff in normal text._ _(flash back)_

**_Bold/italic = Setsunas past_** **_(flash back)_**

**_~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~_**

"If I must be lonely, I think I'd rather be alone" 

(Stabbing westward, Save Yourself) 

_________________________________________________________________ 

_"ITEEE!!!" _

_"Ken-san! I have to re-set your nose, now come back here!" Megumi ran after the red haired man with a bloody rag in her hand. She wasn't happy about this. She was having a very bad day indeed. She was just in shock from everything that was going on and now Kenshin was giving her a hard time. _

_She finally cornered him at the end of the hallway where the patient rooms were. Setsuna stunbled over to the doorway of her room and looked out at the funny scene. She had to laugh. This was even better then finding out Kenshin was the ex-hitokiri. _

_Kenshin was shielding his broken nose with his hands and Megumi was struggling with the rather frail looking man so she could right his broken bone. She finally got ahold of his hands, grabbed him by the ear, and pinned him onto the floor. She sat on top of him pinning his arms down at the elbows. _

_"Now Ken-san, shall we finally fix this broken nose?" She felt around the break, put a thumb onto either side of it, and set the nose back to where it needed to be. _

_"ITEEEEE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"_

_She got off of Kenshin, and wiped the blood off onto the rag. "Now, just don't do anything for a few weeks to get that re-broke and you you should be fine." She smiled triumphantly and walked away. _

_Setsuna still stood in the doorway laughing at the scene, suddenly noticing that Kenshin saw her standing there. "Gomenasai, Himura-san." She turned and started to walk back into the room but Kenshin called to her. She took a step back not turning around, but turned her head in his direction and smiled again. "Hai?"_

_"I see you must be feeling very well to get out of bed and laugh at me that much," he said with a smile on his face. _

_Her cheeks turned red and the smiled faded from her face. "I really couldn't help myself..."_

_"Don't worry, it's okay. I'm just happy to see you in such good spirits today. I'm just a little worried about Sano...," he trailed off thinking of the solemn figure that didn't even resemble his friends usual self. _

_"Is something wrong," she asked now stepping out into the hallway towards Kenshin. _

_"I'm not really sure, as you can tell I didn't get to talk to him degozaru yo." She looked at his nose which now was swollen and had dried blood on it. _

_"Himura-san, you don't mind me asking..."_

_"I tripped degozaru..."_

_She couldn't help it...she burst into laughter again._

_~~~~~_

_Sano walked down the dirt street trying to avoid running into anyone during the bussiest part of the day. If was a miracle that he had taken a diffrent way to the dojo to get rid of the food Kenshin had bought. _

_He held the comb in his fist that was in his right pocket. The teeth dug into his palm causing him slight pain. He couldn't shake the inscription that was on the comb. Who was this guy, and why wasn't HE here to protect her? If he met this guy at all he was going to punch him in the face for letting her be like this. No woman should have to go through something like that if she had a man there to help her through it all. His temper was starting to flare. He let the comb drop out of his fist into the bottom of his pocket and be clenched his fist even tighter. Yeah, he was going to kick that guys ass real good. No matter who he turned out to be. _

_He turned down the road that led to the clinic and wasn't going to be too happy when he got there. Setsuna had some explaining to do for this guy. No, she didn't need to give him a line of bullshit about that scum bag. He just wanted to know where he could hunt his ass down and kill him. _

_He walked up the path that led to the clinics front door and Kenshin spotted him from the waiting room. Kenshin stopped in the doorway a little edgy from the anger Sano was radiating. "Sano, are you okay?"_

_He ignored his friend and walked into the clinic and headed to Setsunas room. The air around him was almost electrified from his hate towards this Samanosuke guy. He flung the door open to her room, took the comb from his pocket and tossed it to her. She was sitting on the bed and picked it up from where it had landed. She looked at Sano confused and opened her mouth to talk._

_"Where is he?" Sano looked at her with such hate in his eyes that she lost all ability to think and speak. "Where is this Smanosuke asshole?"_

_Setsuna looked at him wide eyed and looked down at the comb. She turned the comb over and read the inscription on the back. She had forgotten that he had put that there. _

_Sano walked over to her and grabbed her by the front of the robe she wore. "Where is he? I want to know where the coward is that would leave you alone like this!"_

_Setsuna looked up into his eyes with great sadness. "He's dead."_

_Sanos eyes widened with shock and he let go of her. He back away from her not believeing what he just did. Tears started to fall down her face silently. _

_"He was murdered five years ago Sano...," she wiped the tears from her eyes and looked away from him. "He was my husband."_

_~~~~~_

**_Setsuna opened the door with a smile on her face, which died when she saw who it was. He stood there in his black three piece suit, western dress shoes, a hat and walking cane. He pushed his way into the house taking off his hat. Four men dressed in black ninja outfits walked in swiftly behind him. _**

**_Samanosuke had gotten up from where he was reading the paper only to see his pregnant wife walking backwards and stumble over something laying on the floor. He rushed over to her and got a arm around her waist to help her back up. He looked up to see the man in western clothes acompanied by the ninjas._**

**_"So, you have got yourself a cozy little life now eh?" The man looked around the small house eyeing it's contents. His eyes returned to Setsuna and he smiled at her. "Can't run anymore now can you? It seems that you thought that you had finally gotten me off your back, am I right?" He walked over to where Samanosuke had been reading the paper and picked it up. He scanned the front page, and looked up at the couple now embracing each other._**

**_"Why won't you just let me be now? I never leaked out any info to the goverment...and you know I never will!"_**

**_"......." He put the paper down and walked over to a small table on the other side of the room and picked up the vase that was on it. It held a bunch of wildflowers Setsuna picked earlier that day from the flied near by. He picked out a flower, put the vase down and started to pluck the petals from it. _**

**_"Makoto doesn't want to take the chance of you giving out the information on us that could...well...you already know." The last petal fell to the ground and he grinned at her. "Do what you want with them boys. I have a newspaper to read." He sat down on the floor in front of the fire and picked the paper up just as the ninjas readied themselves for an attack. Samanosuke stood in front of his wife and took his fighting stance._**

**_"Please don't take pitty on me...," Setsuna whispered as her husband rushed forward to try and stop the four men from getting at his wife. _**


	9. Chapter Nine::Without looking

Authors note:****

Nornal text = the present (See chapter one) 

**Bold = written articles: letters, newspaper clippings, etc.**

_Italic = the stuff that happened leading up to the stuff in normal text._ _(flash back)_

**_Bold/italic = Setsunas past_** **_(flash back)_**

**_~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~_**

_Sano stood there shocked. He couldn't believe the words that came out of her mouth. It never occurred to him that the man that gave her that comb may possibly be dead. He muttered a inaudible, "I'm sorry", and left the room. He collapsed against the wall outside of the room. If she didn't hate me before, I'm sure she never wants to see me ever again now..._

_ Kenshin showed up in the hallway with a worried look on his beaten face. "Sano..." Kenshin walked over to his friend who just pushed him away violently and ran out of the clinic. He fought through the crowds and found himself standing on the road in front of the river. _

_I've done it now. I can't go back on anything I said to her. I might as well have walked her over to her husbands grave and had made her watch me piss all over it... He walked over to a near by tree and punched it, his fist going through the other side. He pulled it back out and it was covered in blood; splinters sticking out of his skin. He wasn't phased by the throbbing that ensued and he mad his way into the direction of his one room apartment._

_ ~~~~~_

_Kenshin stood there stunned watching his friend run out of the hallway. He walked over to Setsunas room and looked in at her. She was looking at a hair comb and crying. He had heard Sano screaming at her about some guy but by the looks of it, Sano had gotten an answer he never expected out of her. Megumi rushed into the room, wrapping her arms around Setsuna to comfort her._

_"Ken-san, please...," she looked up at Kenshin not even having to ask him with words to leave the room. He nodded at Megumi and shut the door as he left. _

_ ~~~~~_

_**Samanosuke dodged the throwing knife that nearly got him right in the shoulder and punched the man who threw it at him in the nose, breaking it badly. Blood gushed from the wound, spotting the floor with large drops of red. **_

_**Setsuna stood there watching her husband as the battle broke out. She didn't marry him because she was weak, she didn't run from that ass hole because she was scared. She put herself into a fighting stance and challenged one of the men trying to beat her husband to death. He accepted by rushing at her. She blocked a few blows but, her balance was thrown off by the extra weight she carried and fell to the floor. Her husbands attention was taken off his battle and onto his wife long enough for him to be tackled to the ground by the three men. They neatly tied his hands behind his back and forced him into a kneeling position on the floor. **_

_**"Payback for my broken nose will be much worse then just giving you only that." The masked ninja with blood all over his face took the mask off and threw it to the floor. There was a sickening crunching noise as he reset the broken bone. He turned to Samanosuke and kicked him in the ribs hard enough to break the ones his foot meet. Samanosuke didn't give the man any pleasure in hearing him scream of even wincing in pain. **_

_**The ninja smiled at him, then looked over to his wife. She was pinned to the floor by the fourth man. Tears streamed down her face as she helplessly watched her husband being beaten. **_

_**The man that had her pinned to the floor was thrown some rope and he tied Setsunas hands behind her, just as they did to her husband. He then took out a knife and cut her obi off right by the bow and slide that off of her. **_

_**Samanosuke struggled despite his position and broken bones, to try and go to his wifes side. He was only met with a kick to the face breaking his nose and blurring his vision. The man threw the obi over to one of the three other ninjas and they cut a thin strip off, gaging Samanosuke with it. **_

_**The man pinning Setsuna to the floor then proceeded in cutting off her blue outer kimono, tossing the pieces to the other men, who foreced Samanosuke to look at, and smell the perfume on it. **_

_**The man proceeded in cutting off her under robe and her underwear. She lay there naked in front of everyone, tears streaming down her face. The man in the western attire looked up from the newspaper, seeing Setsunas naked, pregnant body laying tied up on the floor.**_

_**"Oh, I see you've had more happiness in your life then I can allow for. Well my boys, if you intend to do anything to her to relive your sexual tensions, I must excuse myself for a cigarette." He stood up, tucked the newspaper under his arm, and made his way out of the house. **_

_ ~~~~~****_

_****Megumi hugged Setsuna trying to get her to calm down to no avail. She became hysterical after Kenshin left the room. Megumi tried to the best of her ability, but, couldn't get Setsuna to calm down. _

_"I...want........to talk to Sano....," she finally said to Megumi. She calmed down a bit more and Megumi took her arms from around her. She had said that once before, but, was she serious this time? _

_Megumi nodded at her and left the room closing the door behind herself. She made her way to the clinics front porch and saw Kenshin sitting there by himself. "Ken-san, you need to go find Sano. She wants to talk to him."_

_ ~~~~~_

_"No way in fucking hell are you getting me to go there and talk to her," Sano screamed at Kenshin standing outside his apartment. A few people had walked outside to see what was going on. Cold stared were exchanged and Sano led his friend out to the other side of the street. _

_"Maa maa...Sano..."_

_"Kenshin, I know what she's going to say already and I don't want to hear it from...from her..." He calmed down some and looked away from Kenshin embarrassed about everything. He couldn't help himself though. He really didn't want to see Setsuna like this if she had some one who could really confort her. No, I'm just going soft. I can't go back or she'll think something is up with me..._

_"Damn it Kenshin! I'm not fucking going." He stormed off to his apartment leaving a poor excuse for a Kenshin standing at the side of the road. Kenshin sighed, he had done his best. If Setsuna wanted to talk to him, she would just have to stop by after she had been released from the clinic. _

_ ****_

_****_

__

__


	10. Chapter Ten::Assumption

Authors note:****

Nornal text = the present (See chapter one) 

**Bold = written articles: letters, newspaper clippings, etc.**

_Italic = the stuff that happened leading up to the stuff in normal text._ _(flash back)_

**_Bold/italic = Setsunas past_** **_(flash back)_**

**_~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~_**

_Kaoru stirred the frying tofu getting hot oil on her hand and pulled it back with a little yelp. She wasn't making much progress with cooking dinner. She couldn't stop worrying about Kenshin.He still hadn't come back from the clinic and Sano just disappeared from the dojo without saying anything. She proceeded in cutting up the daikon root into small slices. She couldn't cook anymore. She was so burnt out...I wish Kenshin was home. Then atleast I know it'll taste better. She put a few slices of the daikon in with the frying tofu and added some scallions. Kaoru had no idea what she wasmaking, but, decided it may taste better then what she "knew" how to cook. _

_She rushed over to the fish and turned them over on the grill, then stirred the miso soup. Oh great, I never steamed any rice! She was about to scream when Kenshin walked into the kitchen. _

_"Kaoru-dono, tadaima"_

_"Kenshin! Daijoubuka?"_

_"I'm fine degozaru yo. Dinner smells really good tonight."_

_"Yeah besides the fact that I don't what I'm making or that I never steamed any rice." _

_"That's okay Kaoru. I think that Gensei sensei had expected more for dinner then are actualy there. I could run back and get some rice from him. I think it's just going to be you, Yahiko and myself for dinner anyway." _

_"No, Yahiko is out with Tsubame-chan for the evening and will be eating at the Akabeko for dinner. Don't bother getting rice. I'm fine without any." The smell of something buring got her attention and found that the tofu was starting to become charcoal. She let out a moan and walked over to the frying pan, grabbed a towel and took it off the wood burning stove. She poured the contents out onto a serving plate and dumped the frying pan into the sink. _

_"Well, dinner is almost ready if you want to set the table."_

_"Hai." He opened up the cabinet and took out two place setting of everything then left the room. He walked out into the dinning area and set out the bowles and other dishes. Kenshin then returned to the kitchen for chopsticks and rests for them. _

_"Here, use these," Kaoru handed him the good chopstick rests and lacquered chopsticks. He looked up at her puzzled and she just smiled at him warmly. He returned to the other room and put them at the palce setting then sat down.His nose throbbed but atleast most of the swelling had gone down after Megumi got some ice cold rags on it. _

_He put his hand into his left sleeve feeling for the small box that he had in there. He pulled it out and opened it up. A smile crossed his face and then he quickly put it away when he heard Kaorus footsteps. _

_Kaoru held a large tray which she put on the floor. She removed all the serving dishes and left with the empty tray to put into the kitchen. Kenshin eyed the food, thinking it almost looked edible. He took his serving and waited for Kaoru to return to take hers. She came back sitting across from Kenshin, looking exhausted. _

_She took her food and gave a weak smile to Kenshin, "Itadekimasu." Kaoru begain eating and Kenshin fished into his kimono pulling the box out again. He got up and sat next to Kaoru cross legged._

_"Kaoru-dono...I wanted to ask you something."_

_She looked up from her food and saw the box in his hand. This was it! For real this time! He actualy got me an engagement ring too! _

_"Eeeto...nandesuka?"_

_He opened the box up and smiled at her, "Would you like to go to the towns Keironohi festival? I thought that this would look nice in your hair."_

_Kaoru looked down to see a small hair pin in the box. At least he had gotten her somthing...right? She stood up and stormed out of the room not looking back. "I've lost my appetite..." she muttered back to him. _

_"Oro? Is that a no Kaoru?!" He thought that atleast she would appreciate him trying to be nice to her on a day like this. What was she expecting me to...say...oh boy. "I really screwed up this time didn't I." He looked at the small rabbit hair clip and put the cover back on it. He ate his meal alone then cleaned up all the dishes. He didn't plan on seeing Kaoru for awhile._

_~~~~~_

_"I'm not hungry," said Setsuna laying with her back to the door. Megumi walked back out closing it. She really didn't want anyone to be around her. She needed to get out of this clinic even if she had to fake feeling better. She always got through the hell of learning at sword schools for only six months. She could push herself to get out of the clinic earlier if she could. She decided that she would ask politely tomorrow if she could leave. If the answer was no, then she would just walk out the door. no way anyone would try and stop her. Right? She rolled over onto her back and put her left arm over her head. She felt much better...why couldn't she just leave? She closed her eyes trying to fall asleep._

_~~~~~_

**_The ninjas waited for the man to leave before they did anything to Setsuna. Her husband could only watch as the men defiled his pregnant wife. He could hear her muffled screams almost as clear as they would have been with out the gag in her mouth. Samanosuke could onyl watch as his wife went into shock, her eyes going glassy and unseeing. He watched as they finished with her and beat her pregnant stomach, causing her skin to bruise heavily. _**

**_One of them picked her up by the hair while she was still conscious forcing her to look at her husband. "Take your last look at him alive you dirty whore. The next time you see him will be in hell." A diffrent ninja walked over to her husband, and begain to beat him right in front of her. _**

**_Samanosuke....no...._**

**_She passed out cold not remembering anything that happened. She woke up with bright sunlight filtering in the window. She sat up abruptly, looked around realising she wasn't in her house_**. **A man walked over to her that had been sitting in the room reading, trying to calm her down. **

**_"Where is Samanosuke...Where is he? Is he okay?" She winced in pain as she tried to get out of the bed. Her stomach hurt really bad and she put a hand on it feeling that it wasn't the same. Her baby, was gone. She looked up in horror at the man that was holding her by the arm. _**

**_"What happened? What the fuck happened?!?"_**

**_"Please, Setsuna, you need to lay back down." The man finaly got her to sit back on the bed and he walked out to get the doctor. She recogined the man instantly, he was the dojos doctor which ment that she was probably in the dojo someplace. _**

**_"I'm sorry to tell you this Setsuna, but, because of the severe beating you received, you had a miscarriage. Also we unfortunatly found your husband...too late. I'm very sorry Setsuna." _**

**_She sat there on the bed in shock. In the end she may as well killed them both herself._**

_~~~~~ _


	11. Chapter Eleven::Of Sake and Sashes

Authors note:****

Normal text = the present (See chapter one) 

**Bold = written articles: letters, newspaper clippings, etc.**

_Italic = the stuff that happened leading up to the stuff in normal text._ _(flash back)_

**_Bold/italic = Setsunas past_** **_(flash back)_**

**_~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~_**

"You're burning me out but I'm back at your door, like Joan of Arc coming back for more"VOW (c) 1995 Garbage  
___________________________________________________________________

_He sat there in the darkened room with his back to the doorway. The man sat there smoking a cigarette holding a glass filled with wine which he swirled around.There was a soft knock on the office door, then it opened slowly. _

_"What news do you have for me boy," he said not attempting to face the young boy who walked into the room. He was dressed in a kimono, hakama but had a western dress shirt underneath the kimono. His tabi made no noise as he walked into the room, standing in front of the door, a smile not escaping his lips. _

_"The spy we sent after Mino, Kanamenever came back. His last letter stated that they were headed towards Tokyo, so I've sent someone to investigate if he's been killed. I also heard rumors that she is still going by the name Setsuna. Although this time she is not using a surname, nor is she staying in any place for too long. There is a possibility that she may be under the governments protection if she has reached Tokyo safely. Not much else is known at this time Sir."_

_The man let out a long breath of smoke, got up from his chair and walk to the other side of the desk. He was dressed in a black three piece suit and wore black dress shoes that were polished to a mirror like appearance, which reflected the glow from his cigarette ever so slightly. _

_"Don't chase after him in Tokyo. If he was too stupid to get killed that's his problem." He put his wine glass down on the dark cherry desk and leaned against it taking another drag of his cigarette, then put it out in the glass ashtray that he pulled over next to him._

_"So, she was headed towards Tokyo...Don't do anything drastic right now. Send one man to Tokyo to see if she is even there. Have him report back here in fourteen days. I want a detailed report if she is there. I want to know everything."_

_"Yes Sir." The young boy turned and exited the smoky room the same way he had entered, letting a sliver of light play against the man leaning on the desk. The mans expression was hard and unemotional. _

_"So you're still alive my little wench. We'll just see how long that lasts." He picked his wine up again and took a sip, a small evil smile crossing over his face. _

_~~~~~_

_It was now two days after the incident that left her in the clinic and she was ready to go back to the dojo. Megumi gave her the okay to go back there, explaining that she shouldn't push herself when she got there. Kenshin was coming by later that day and would walk her back. She was so happy to get out of there. She felt vulnerable laying in a bed all day. She needed to get her strength back. _

_Megumi walked into the room with a yukata and undergarments so she could help Setsuna get dressed. She smiled greatly at her, enjoying dressing the younger girl up like a doll. She stepped back after trying the obi into a bow, and remembered she need to do something with her hair. _

_"Wait right here Setsuna, I'll got get you something." She raced out of the room happily and returned with a bright green hair ribbon to match the leaves in the kimono pattern. Setsuna sat on the bed as Megumi brushed her hair back into a ponytail. She secured it with the ribbon and stepped back to look at her handy work. _

_"You look very nice Setsuna! Wait 'till Ken-san sees you like this." She beamed happily knowing that Kenshin would feel much better seeing his newest friend looking so healthy finally. Megumi gave Setsuna quick hug and quickly left the room to tend to the things she had put off to get Setsuna ready to go back to the dojo. _

_Setsuna looked around the room, her eyes coming to rest on the bed next to her, the IV equipment still in the same place as it had been when Sano had left the room the other day. She would rather would have had Sano be the person to see her like this. It would put a smile on his face to see her up and about rather then laying around in bed all day. _

_She stood up from the bad and peeked her head out into the hallway. No sign of Megumi and Kenshin wasn't there yet. She turned around and walked over to the dresser and picked up the hair comb that has caused so much trouble for her and tucked into her obi. She now had everything she would need, and she walked out into the hallway checking again for signs of anyone. She walked quietly down the hall towards the back of the clinic. She stopped in the room that Megumi had told her to take a pair of zori and tabi from. It almost looked like it was Megumis bedroom. She put the tabi on and walked silently out looking again to see no one. She headed further back and found a back door that she opened and snuck out of, heading someplace she had no idea where it was. _

_~~~~~_

_Sano lay on his futon, bare chested staring at the ceiling. He sat up and grabbed his shirt off the rope that was strung between the two walls, and put it on. He rubbed his face still feeling the effects of the lack of sleep and too much to drink. He stood up and walked over to the other side of the room picking up the sake jug that sat on the floor. He shook it finding that it was empty, frowning. His stomach protested to him that he needed food instead of sake and he tossed the jug to the floor. He grabbed his shoes and the little money he had, and decided that he was actually going to go pay for some food at the Akabeko. Although he knew it would get him much. He opened the door of his one room apartment and saw her walking down the road. It couldn't be her, Megumi wouldn't let her leave. He hurriedly put his shoes on and ran after the girl in the green yukata. _

_"Oi, jyou-chan!"_

_The girl turned around and beamed a big smile on her face. _

_"Sagara-san!"_

_So it was her, but why was out by herself, and dressed up in that yukata that I swear I saw Megumi wear?_

_"What are you doing out of the clinic?"_

_"I decided to escort myself around town. Plus I wanted to find you and give you something to thank-you...for saving me more then once." She reached into her obi and pulled out the comb and handed it to him. He looked at it as if taking it from her would kill her. "Please, it's all I can offer you in thanks."_

_"I could never take something like that from you." Why the hell is she even talking to me after what I said to her? And then offering this in thanks to saving her? What the hell is going on? "It means to much to you for me to accept anything like that from you, really I can't take it."_

_She looked around the side of him to see a door with his name on and returned her smiling face to him, "Do you live over there?"_

_He looked over to where she pointed and became embarrassed. His house, er, apartment wasn't anything to be showing off to a lady. It was a mess and he didn't even have any tea or even some sake to offer her. _

_"Yeah...I live over there." He blushed ever so slightly and looked away from her. She walked past him, and stepped up to his door and opened it to look inside. Sano ran over and shut the door quickly standing there blocking her way. "Um...I need to clean up a bit...and..." _

_"I understand," she said holding back a laugh. She noticed then that his right had was bandaged up, when the previous day it hadn't been. "How did your hand get hurt?"_

_He turned away from her no knowing what excuse to give to her. There was no way that he could tell her the real reason behind his injured hand. He looked up to her and was ready with a poorly thought out excuse, but, he couldn't do it._

_"It's okay if you don't want to tell me Sagara-san." She beamed at him happily trying not to pressure him. "Would you mind walking me back to the dojo? I got myself lost trying to find you and..."_

_"Sure I don't mind. Maybe Kaoru will be kind hearted enough to let me stay for breakfast. Hopefully Kenshin is cooking."_

_"I'm afraid he may not be since he's probably ripping his hair out right now wondering where I ran off to."_

_Sano rolled his eyes and smacked his forehead. Great, now I'm going to get in trouble for her running off without telling Kenshin. "Come on, let's get to the dojo before someone dies of Kaorus cooking." _


	12. Chapter Twelve::Star Gazer

Authors note:****

Nornal text = the present (See chapter one) 

**Bold = written articles: letters, newspaper clippings, etc.**

_Italic = the stuff that happened leading up to the stuff in normal text._ _(flash back)_

**_Bold/italic = Setsunas past_** **_(flash back)_**

Names are written "last name, first name" when giving a whole name in the story. 

**_~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~_**

_Kenshin walked down the dusty road with a smile on his face, glad to know tha Setusna was well enough to be able to recuperate the rest of the way at the dojo. He wanted to be able to keep and eye over her much better then he had already. He partially blamed himself to what had happened to her. He wanted to make sure that she would be safe from the people that were after her. _

_He walked up the pathway to the clinic, the wind chime ringing softly in the breeze. He stepped into the clinic and was greeted by a smiling Megumi. "She's in her room waiting for you Kenshin." _

_"Arigato Megumi-dono." He proceeded to the hallway that led to Setsunas room, standing in front of the doorway he cleared his throat. "Gomen kudasai!" He opened the door and fell over..."ORO?!" She wasn't there. He got up from the floor and a wave of nausea swept over him realizing that someone must have gotten to her first. He turned around fast and burst out of the room running out of the clinic, his eyes with a hint of amber in them. Setsuna must have been kidnaped. There is no way she could have just been able to walk out of the clinic unnoticed like that. _

_He rushed through the clinic, weaving through Megumi and a few patients to get to the entrance of the clinic. He rushed to the door and opened it running out and he was half way down the stairs when he saw them. Sano and some girl chatting and walking down the road right in front of the clinic. She looks familiar, wait, that's Setsuna! He fell missing a step and landed hard on his face. Setsuna and Sano saw the flash of red go down on the steps of the clinic seeing that Kenshin just fell on his face again. _

_Megumi rushed out to the steps seeing that there was blood where kenshin had fallen. She gently turned the rurouni over seeing, while trying not to laugh, that he had broken his nose all over again. _

_"Ken-san, can you hear me?"_

_"Orooooooooooo.................."_

_She helped him stand up and lead him into the clinic so that she could clean him up all over again. This would prove even more fun then the first time she had to reset his nose. _

_~~~~~_

_The boy closed the office door with a smile on his face and quickly walked down the hall. His orders were clear and he didn't want this screwed up anymore then it already was. He trew open the door to his quarters and quickly packed some gear into a traveling bag. Satisfied with what he had gathered together, he put on his wariji sandles and his traveling straw hat. He then rushed out into the hallway. A tall woman dressed in a kimono with a large rope bow stopped the boy in the hallway abruptly by grabbing the back of his kimono. _

_"Where do you think you're going Soujiro?"_

_"I'm going to Tokyo and that's all I can tell you right now." Soujiro turned around the woman letting go of him, not fully satisfied with the answer but knew she would get nothing else from the boy. _

_~~~~~_

_The darkness of night settled into Soujiros camp earlier then he wished it would have. He had many miles to go, and not enough time to travel them. He finished his meal of fish and rice cakes, then proceeded in dumping sand onto his fire pit. He gathered his few belongings and left his makeshift camp behind him. Sleep was for those who gave up, and knew that he wasn't about to until his body made him. Slowly he made way back to the dirt path that he had been traveling down all day, to conitnue his journey to Tokyo. It had been many years since he last saw Kaname. He hated to see her leave the way she did. She was the only other person then Shishou-sama that could match his swordsmanship. Teaching her things was like watching himself when she executed them right. She was the big sister he never had in a way. It would be so good to see her smiling face one last time before they finally sent someone else to Tokyo. They knew why he was going, and now he could never go back himself. Now he was running, no, he would never run. He was leaving because he wanted answers from her. Why didn't she die when she betrayed everyone and left? Was it because she was stronger then them, or did they take pity on her like the ex-batousai did on so many? _

_His mind was muddled with thoughts that confused him to no end. He loved Kaname strangely. It's alsmot like I need to go there to let her know this... He looked into the sky seeing the stars of a late summer night shining back at him. He had changed so much after he left the Juppungatana. He had discover things that Shishou-sama never told him. Almost as if he had been mislead and lied to by the only person he respected back then. He never thought that he would join yet another orginazation like that, but, like a Samurai, he couldn't give up his ways. The Kuragari had become his new family after he stoppped his wandering ways. Months later she came to them with so much hate in her heart. He could taste it whenever she talked. He knew the pain that it held. He had been there so many years ago. _

_~~~~~_

_Setsuna looked up at the stars as she sat on the porch of the Kamiya Dojo. The night being still warm enough to star gaze late at night. _

_"Setsuna-dono?"_

_She turned her head to see Kenshin standing behind her holding a tray with two tea cups on it. "Hai?" She smiled at him pleasantly as he kneeled down and set the tray on the floor. _

_"Care if I join you?"_

_"Not at all." _

_Kenshin handed her a teacup and she took it thanking him. She returned her gaze to the stars taking a sip of the warm tea. "I use to watch for falling stars with my Father every night before I went to bed. I only ever got to see one, but, my Father told me it was bad luck to see more then one in your life. He said that we could only have one wish, or we would become greedy. After I saw that one falling star, I almost refused to star gaze with him after that. I eventually got over it and watched the stars with him again. I regret not making a wish that counted when I saw that star. Maybe things could have been different for me._

_"You know Himura-san, my Father was in the war. I didn't know it back then what he was doing,but, I do now. I was only six when it broke out. My Father left soon after. For such a long time me and my Mother never heard from him. Not a letter or money sent back, nothing. She eventualy got very sick and we couldn't aford any medical treatment for her. I alone at the age of seven left home to find my Father. I asked so many people and eventually a soldier introduced me to a government official that told me an address to check. When I arrived no one believed what I was saying. He had told them all he had no family. He did see me that day, but denied me right to my face. Told me I was a liar and he knew no such people." Setsunas eyes swelled with tears and she griped the tea cup hard, digging her nails into the enamel. Kenshin put a comforting arm around her shoulders. _

_She wiped the tears violently from her eyes and pushed his arms from her shoulders. She stood up dropping the tea cup to the ground, breaking on impact. She said nothing and ran in the direction of the front of the house. Kenshin stood up and followed her, knowing he didn't need to recall what happened a few days ago the hard way. _

_Setsuna tripped on her own feet and fell onto the floor of the wrap around proch. "Setsuna-dono, daijoubu?"_

_She reached into the back of her obi and pulled out a dagger, slashing wildly at Kenshin. "It's your fault! You made him deny me and my Mother!" She slashed at him again cutting the fabric of his kimono. He dogged the next slash, only to see that the fogginess in her eyes was clearing up and her movements were becoming more fluid. She knew what she was doing know and her true talents were showing themselves._

_Kenshin didn't understand what was happening, but that didn't matter right now. He needed to get the dagger from her and have her calm down. Lord knows what she would have done if Kaoru was awake. Possibly attack her? Kenshin observed her movements, dogged, then grabbed her by the elbow, twisting her arm around to her back. "Drop the dagger Setusna!"_

_She dropped it without hesitation and fell into heap on the ground sobbing, and shaking like a lost soul. She looked up with him with confusion, hurt and regret in her eyes. "Gomen..." She got up and ran again, heading towards the gates of the dojo. Kenshin was too quick for her in the condition she was in, and tackled her to the ground. _

_"Setsuna, please, what's going on?!"_

_She looked into his eyes, "My Father...he had been the head of underground thing during the war. I found out that he had an assassin working for him. Although, I never knew who that man really was."_

_"What was your Fathers name?"_

_"Choshu, Katsura desu."_

_Kenshins face paled, and his mouth dropped open. He hadn't hear anyone say that name in over fifteen years._

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__

__Wow,have I eveer had a bad case of writters block. I hope you guys are enjoying the story. Hopefully I can keep the chapters going now that I've got a few ideas to play with. Leave reviews or ideas. They are always welcome. I'm sorry to keep my readers in suspense for so long. I feel so horrid about that. Well, I am going to try and get the next chapter out much soon then this one. 'Till then, Ja na! 


	13. Chapter Thirteen::Of Nightmares and Boke...

Authors note:****

Normal text = the present (See chapter one) 

**Bold = written articles: letters, newspaper clippings, etc.**

_Italic = the stuff that happened leading up to the stuff in normal text._ _(flash back)_

**_Bold/italic = Setsunas past_** **_(flash back)_**

______________________________________________________________________________

_Setsuna woke with her heart racing, and hot sweat covering her chilled body. She sat up looking around the room, thinking that she was outside gazing at the stars still. She sighed with much relief. Her taking out her angst and problems on Kenshin was only a very bad dream. She would never think of doing that to someone. She had much more control then that. At least she hoped she did if it ever came down to it. _

_She didn't blame anything on Kenshin. He had no hand in what her father did. It had been many years later that she finally found out why he did what he did that night and the many years afterward. He was trying to protect the ones he loved the only way he could at that time. If spies ever found out that he had family, he was sure they would try and take their lives. _

_Setsuna remembered quite well the night that sent her fleeing for her life from the Kuragari. She had been set free by the truth about her father. He had died while she was still with the Kuragari, but somehow, she was able to get her mothers belongings back from that evil man. _

**_~~~~~_**

**_She never thought that she would see the day that she could finally get back the hair ornaments her father had taken from her mother before he left. They where the ones she wore at their wedding and Setsuna always had admired them in the silk case they stayed in. She wanted to wear them in her hair at her own wedding, and they were the only thing they didn't sell for money when her father had left. It was three hours ago that she heard word through Soujiro that her father was dead. She found out more information and was now headed to Outsu on the four day walk it would take to get there. The hair ornaments meant so much to her that she was willing to walk for so long to get there. _**

**_Soujiro had made the offer to travel with her. After much debate, she accepted his company. It was no use anyway, if she declined she knew he would only follow her anyway. He always accused her with having a bad sense of direction. , which she ignored him whenever they did get lost. Having his company would be good enough a reason to actually accept him coming along anyway. Traveling by oneself can be very boring on long trips. _**

**_The sun was setting slowly in the western sky, causing it to change to bright red and orange. It being midsummer allowed them more daylight to travel by. After setting up camp for the night, Setsuna went straight to bed without eating anything. _**

**_Soujiro almost started to regret even going along with her. She said few words to him and seemed angry when she did talk. Was she mad at me, was it something I did? He didn't care too much, but the whole reason he wanted to go with her was to try and get closer to her, to try and get through the barriers she set up around herself. Nothing seemed to be working. After finding some peace with himself after Shishou-sama passed and the Juppungatana had broken up, he tried to open up to people more. He could start to trust regular people like he did Shishou-sama. _**

**_He watched Setsuna sleep, her back towards him. The night sky was clear, brightly lit with a full moon and plenty of stars. He smiled, knowing that this time, his smile wasn't false._**

**_~~~~~_**

**_After walking for two days, spending most of there time silent, they made it to Outsu. They had wanted to get there earlier then planned to get it over with. Both were restless from each others silence and agreed to walk almost for 24 hours straight one day. _**

**_Setsuna arrived at the home of the man who was in charge of her fathers estate and stated who she was. The man, who introduced himself as Myon Keiichi, said that there was two specific things her father left her to have. One thing was the silk box with the hair ornaments, the other was a journal her father kept during the war. A letter was with both items and addressed to her. She almost refused to take the journal and letter but, Soujiro took the items for her as she stormed out of the office. _**

**_"I can't believe that man! After all these years he thinks a letter is going to make my view of him any different!"_**

**_She sat down on the grass near the shore of Lake Biwa, with a frown on her face. Soujiro sat next her picking up the silk box that lay to her right. He opened the box seeing the hair ornaments. _**

**_"Did these belong to your mother?"_**

**_".......yes. She wore them at her wedding. I hope that some day I can do the same. As things are right now though, I don't think that's ever going to happen. I'll probably die in battle before I can think about marriage seriously."_**

**_He closed the box and set it back on the ground. "Maybe you should really read this journal. You never know what you may find out about your father."_**

**_Setsuna looked at Soujiro with a look that said, I can't believe you of all people are saying this to me! She violently took the journal from his hands, opened it and started to read a random entry just to satisfy his request:_**

**January 12 **

**I would put the year down, but, then again, I'm not sure how to write it anymore during this time of war. Today my loyal assassin has cut down many evil men. I am happy that he is on the side of good rather then evil. He is still too young for this and I wish to let him go of his duties for good. **

**_She flipped to another entry later in the journal, not seeing anything interesting in the one she was reading:_**

**May 20 Meiji 1**

**I can't believe this. The new era has started for us all. If only I could spend it with my beautiful wife and child. I miss them so much. If it wasn't for the war, I would have been able to save my wife when she became ill. Now I live with that burden everyday. My daughter is nowhere to be found, I just hope that nothing of ill fate has happened to her. But I had to do what I did, if I didn't deny them back during the war, they might both be dead now. I just hope that my only child is alive and well. That all of this wasn't truly in vain in the end. **

**_She dropped the journal to the ground, covered her mouth with her hand, trying not to cry. It was all a fabricated lie to save her and her mother. In the end it was all for them. To try and save them from whatever ill fate would have come from being related to a man like him. Soujiro tried to comfort her as best he could, drying her tears with the sleeve of his kimono._**

_~~~~~_

_Now that she was awake, it would be hard for her to go back to sleep. Judging by the slight glimmer of light on the horizon, it was time to wake up anyway. She had a lot of pent up energy from keeping quite at the clinic and she needed to let it all out in the dojo. She knew if she didn't do it before everyone woke up, she would be stopped from doing anything and put back into her room to rest. She was tired of resting! _

_She rummaged through a dresser that was in her room and found some hakama pants to put on and a short kimono to wear with them. After binding her breasts and dressing, she made her way over to the dojo to practice her various skills. One of which she was itching to do because she hadn't practiced it since she left the Kuragari. She wondered if she even had the talent to do it anymore. She picked up a boken from the sword stands and centered herself. She practiced simple sword moves first and gradually started doing more complicated moves. Little did she know was that Sano woke very early to check in on the Kamiya Dojo, or rather check in on her. He stood silently in the shadows watching her carry out complicated sword moves he thought only a person like Kenshin could execute. _

_She then suddenly put the boken into the strap of her hakama pants and started tapping her foot on the floor. Sano stood there with his jaw on the ground. He had seen Soujiro start a move like that back when he and Kenshin were in Kyoto. All he could do is watch as she started to bounce from one foot to the other then take off with speed greater then that of Kenshins God like speed. She disappeared into thin air, but unlike Soujiro, the floor didn't rip up were she ran over it. She reappeared standing right in front of Sano with a grin on her face. _

_"How did you know I'd be up so early Sagara-san?"_

_He was dumb founded, stepping back in surprise. He didn't know what to say to her. She must have seen him standing there the entire time. _

_"Uhm...I just had this gut feeling..."_

_"It's okay, just don't tell Himura-san that I was in here doing this. He'd flip out if..." Her eyes rolled back in her head and she fainted from the exertion she had just put on herself, and still being weak from the blood loss. Sano raced to her and caught her before she hit the ground out side the dojo doors. _

_"Damn you Setsuna. He would find out now anyway." He carried her back to her bedroom and laid her down on her bed roll, covering her with the blanket that was folded neatly next to it. _


	14. Chapter Fourteen::Secrets

Authors note:****

Nornal text = the present (See chapter one) 

**Bold = written articles: letters, newspaper clippings, etc.**

_Italic = the stuff that happened leading up to the stuff in normal text._ _(flash back)_

**_Bold/italic = Setsunas past_** **_(flash back)_**

____________________________________________________________________________ 

"Coughing up feeling just for you, to find something real to hold on to...You say that all the good is gone, that I have forgotten who I am. Free as a bird, wild as the wind, but somehow I can not let you in." _Nobody Loves You_--(C) 2002 Garbage 

________________________________________________________________________________________________ 

**_The dojos' doctor stood there as calmly as he could, looking at the horrified expression passing over Setsunas' face. He put his hand up his kimono sleeve taking out a dagger and set it on the table nearest the door. He glanced back at her one more time, then left the room without saying anything. Setsuna cried into her hands, soaking her skin with salty tears of pain. She did nothing to prevent this, she could have done more. _**

**_The doctor returned holding washi paper with a kimono in it, and a long piece of hemp rope. He picked the dagger up from the table, placed the washi wrapper down and stacked everything neatly. He looked at Setsuna solemnly and walked out the door closing it softly. _**

**_It was time for her to perform a ritual taught to every daughter; if you are raped, you must kill yourself. Bind your ankles together, dress in a formal robe if possible, and slit your wrists. She grasped her now flat belly, not being able to move from the thought of losing everyone at once. It was impossible that they were gone. Her unborn child dead, without a name even to call out, or write onto a paper lantern to sail down the river to guide his soul. Nothing is all she had now, and nothing is what she was going to leave this world with. She needed to see him again, she already ached to feel his arms around her shoulders. Comforting her on this great loss. _**

**_She finally got off the bed, dressed in a white robe. She untied the washi paper and saw the one thing she hadn't seen in three months, her Uchikake. The heavy garment fell out of the wrapper onto the floor in a big heap. The only thing that would be suitable for her to pass to the next world in. She picked the robe up and put it on, admiring the embroidered cranes and plum blossoms that cover the garment. Bright blues, reds, and metallic threads made the piece a work of art. She ran her fingers across the flowers and cranes, thinking of how long it took her to put on everything for her wedding day. It took half the day just to get her hair, make-up and wardrobe perfect. _**

**_She ran the belt through the loops near the bottom of the Uchikake to keep it shut, and opened the draw of the table it had been sitting on. She found her Mothers old hair pins and combs that she had worn on her Wedding day also, and started to do her hair up. She arranged it in a neat bun and placed the ornaments tastily in her dark black hair. Nothing seemed right. She applied some lipstick then looked into the hand mirror. Something was off. She took the rope and bound her ankles together. She kneeled on the floor and unsheathed the dagger. She looked at her reflection in the blade, seeing her almond eyes gazing back. She re-sheathed the dagger, untied her ankles, took the hair pins out, wiped off the lipstick, undid the robe, laid it out on the bed, dressed in what was in the room, then left through the window, taking only the dagger with her. _**

**_She ran from the dojo, dressed in mens clothes, her hair still tied in a bun on top of her head. Setsuna would not allow herself to die, not now. Nothing was taken care of yet, she wanted to take her revenge and instill honor on her husband. He died trying to save her and their child, he would not die in vain. She would not be saved by the Gods, only to kill herself in a locked room dressed in her wedding attire. She ran her hands over her hair, feeling a comb that she forgot to remove. She pulled it from her hair, seeing that it was the very comb her husband gave to her. She smiled, put it back into her hair, and continued walking down the dusty road to wherever it may lead her. _**

**_~~~~~_**

_Setsuna woke up in a panic endused sweat. She sat up and looked around the room, not finding any comfort with her foreign surroundings as she didn't recognize the room she was in. The threw the blankets off herself and got out of the futon that lay on the floor. She picked up the shinai that lay on the floor near the sliding door to the room. She heard faint voices coming from the hallway. She looked down at her clothes noticing that she wore the same attire as when she ran from the dojo those few years ago. Perhaps, it wasn't a dream she woke from, maybe that is what happened before she woke up in this strange room. She readied herself and opened the door enough to see into the hallway. She looked into it as best she could without being noticed, then slid the door halfway open and poked her head out of it, seeing no one there. She walked into the hallway, her tabi clad feet moving silently across the wooden floor. She heard a noise from behind her and turned around, walking backwards in the direction she was going. _

_"Setsuna-dono, are you feeling better," a voice behind her said. She turned quickly bringing the shinai up and getting into a stance. Suddenly a rush of memory came back to her like a broken dam pouring out water. Kenshin stood before her with a confused look spread across his face. _

_"Himura-san, I'm sorry, you startled me," she said lowering the shinai. _

_"How is your head this morning, not hurting or anything is it? You dont' feel faint, or perhaps you're hungry..."_

_"No I'm fine actually, Himura-san. I think I just need to rest like I was supose to be doing in the first place." She turned from him and walked back into the room she was staying in and slid the door shut behind her._

_Kenshin stood there looking at the closed door, thinking of himself as stupid for not feeling any sword spirit from the girl that stood before him moments ago. It was suppressed or covered so well, not even he could feel it from her. Perhaps she didn't even possess one at all. Although, from what Sano had told him, he doubted she didn't have one. This girl was becoming such an enigma to him and he needed to find out everything to be able to save her from the gang after her, but mostly, to save her from herself. _

_~~~~~_

_Soujiro walked put the many steps of the Buddhist Temple that stood before him, carrying a light load bundled on his back like a peddler. He got to the top and adjusted the pack, looked all the way to the top shielding his eyes from the noon day sun, then proceeded to walk to the entrance to the monistary. It had been at least ten years since he last stepped foot into the building itself. He approched the door, but heard someone approching him from the left and turned to the man calling out his name. _

_"Sojirou-san! Okarinasai! It's been some time hasn't it," the monk asked Soujiro holding a basket with a variety of plant material in it. _

_"Yes, it has, hasn't it? I'm hear to see the High Priest."_

_"Eh? You're here to see San Zang-sama? I'm sure he'll be quite upset with seeing you again. Especialy since you left so many years ago on bad terms with him. I'll see what I can do to have you in to see him. In the mean time, I'll set you up with a room for you to stay in." The monk pushed open the huge wodden doors with the use of his shoulder then waved Soujiro in before him, then closed the doors, pushing them shut, the acoustics reverberating the sound throughout the monastery, announcing their return. No one greeted them, rahter the monk took Soujiro up the winding staircase and showed him a simple room. It held only a bed, a night stand and a window on the far side overlooking the way Soujiro had walked up the mountain side to get there.Removing his waraji sandles before entering the room,he walked over to the bed and put his pack down on the floor near. He sat down and massaged his sore feet as the monk left the room, closing the door behind him. He flopped on to the bed, spreading himself out enjoying how soft it was. Then again, anything was soft compared to sleeping on the hard ground for days. He drifted in and out of a light sleep for about thirty minutes until a soft knock on the door got his complete attention. The door cracked open and the monk from before stuck his head in, "He will see you now."_

_Soujiro got off the bed, picked up his sandals and left the room. He put them back on and followed the monk down the hallway up another set of stairs to the next floor. He guided him to a set of heavy wooden doors heavily decorated with writtings and pictures that were on the sutras that San Zang had brought with him to Japan. Two large door knockers were on either door and the monk picked one off the door and knocked loudly annoucing that he had retireved Soujiro from his room. _

_A loud voice answered allowing them to enter. The monk opened only on of the doors, and told Soujiro that only he could enter to see him. Soujiro walked him, a smile on his face, his head held high. _

_The High Priest sat at a large desk writting something with a calligraphy brush, looked up to Soujiro,then placed it on it's rest to finish his writting at a later time. "I may know why you've come back to see me, but, please enlighten me to why you have." The monks eyes burned with wisdom, with a slight tinge of hate that was blinked away as fast as it had settled there. _

_Soujiro smiled back, "I've come to finally learn the last technique, I know I'm ready to have obtain the ability to use it.." _

_The monk sat back in his chari, stroking his long white beard, thinking. He stood up and picked up a piece of paper and folded it into a paper airplane, then pushed it threw the air, watching it glide until it crashed to the floor. "Perhaps you are more ready then I was when I learned that. I will grant your request, but, you must stay here and learn it properly..."_

_"I have no time to San Zang-sama, this is a matter of life and death if I stay here for any length of time." He calmly smiled at the monk as the High Priest thought about it again. _

_"Very well then. If someone's life is at stake here, then I can't wish you away knowing that someone has died because of my foolishness. Take what you need, the sacred room will be open for you, but for only one hour. If you haven't gathered what you need in that time, then it will rest on your shoulders. Go then." He turned his back to Soujiro and looked out the window, ignoring the boy as he walked out of the room. _

_The monk stood outside the door egerly awaiting to know what the High Priest had said to Soujiro, only to be thoroughly surprised. The monk looked at Soujiro surprised, knowing that if he had stayed and became a monk, he may have been the next in line to San Zang. _

_The monk led Soujiro down the hallway to a extremly plain door, which looked like any other in the monastery. He removed a key from around his neck, unlocked the door and led Soujiro inside. _

_"The left wall is sacred herbs. Thier uses are printed on the labels. On the back wall are the sacred weapons for rituals. On the right wall are the sacred scrolls with the ancient magick rites written on them. I will be back in one hour to lock the room." He left closing the door behind him, standing outside to make sure no one else entered without written permission to do so. _

_Soujiro began sorting through the scrolls, taking half of his hour to finally find the one he was looking for. He then quickly grabbed the herbs he would need and the blood worms. The monk returned, telling Soujiro that his time had expired. Soujiro quickly left the room, returned to his room, grabbed his things and left trying not to wast anymore time in that place. He had finally gotten what he needed. He was on his way to Tokyo again. _

________________________________________________________________________________________________ 

A beta reader is needed for future and possible back chapters. If you would like to volenteer, please e-mail me at: SanzosPaperFanOD@aol.com with the subject: Beta Reader-Akuji. 

Thanks! 

Phoenix 


	15. Chapter Fifteen::Recovery

Authors note:****

Nornal text = the present (See chapter one) 

**Bold = written articles: letters, newspaper clippings, etc.**

_Italic = the stuff that happened leading up to the stuff in normal text._ _(flash back)_

**_Bold/italic = Setsunas past_** **_(flash back)_**

______________________________________________________________________________

_Setsuna sat on the floor, her legs drawn up to her chin, her arms wrapped around her knees. She didn't think that she would be having those nightmares again, but, she did. The horrible flashbacks of that day started to flow through her head. She shut her eyes tight trying to think of happy thoughts, something that would get rid of those evil memories. _

_This has crippled me for far too long...I can't let this get to me anymore. I have to be strong for Samanosuke...for myself. She picked herself off the floor and tied her hair back into a ponytail. She walked triumphantly out of the room with the boken in her hand. She headed out to the court yard, determined not to let anything stop her from preparing herself to face her fears. _

_She walked by the dojo where Kaoru was giving lessons to Yahiko. Kaoru caught a glimpse of her out of the corner of her eye and then walked over to the dojo doorway to see what she was up to. Setsuna got herself into a stance, but just stood there. Yahiko joined Kaoru's side, watching Setsuna along with her. _

_"What is she doing?"_

_"She is meditating to gather her sword spirit. Haven't you learned anything," Kauro asked the young boy with a hint of fire in her eyes._

_"Maybe if you weren't so ugly, I could pay attention to you more..."_

_"NANI?! Who are you calling ugly!! Come back here you little rat!"_

_Kaoru chased after Yahiko swinging the boken at him but missing. He ran out of the dojo and on to the walkway outside. He wized past Kenshin as he held a tray of tea. The tray raddled a bit but didn't fall. He sighed with relief until Kaoru came crashing by and knocked him to the floor. Everything fell from the tray breaking and spilling the tea all over. _

_"This hasn't been my week...," muttered Kenshin putting broken bits of cups and teapot onto the tray. He looked up and finaly noticed Setsuna standing there with a boken in her hands, meditating in the courtyard. He could feel it now. It was weak, but, her sword spirit was there. He finished picking up the broken pieces and walked back to the kitchen to dispose of them. _

_ ~~~~~_

_Setsuna walked across a deserted beach, the wind blowing her hair across her face blinding her momentarily. The clouds in the sky rushed over head as if late for something on the other side of the ocean. A small island was barely visible from where she stood looking out at the water. She squinted her eyes as sand blew around her. _

_She turned her attention to the beach as her gaze combed the edge of the water, looking for a way to get to the island without having to swim. The sky was starting to turn black and she knew that a storm was coming close. She spotted a boat farther down the shore and started to walk towards it in hope that it was still in a condition to sail. She heard a faint voice behind her, calling her name...calling to her to turn around and stop walking away. _

_Setsuna slowly peered over her shoulder and out of the corner of her eye she saw a person standing several yards from her. She turned her body around to face whoever was standing there. He was standing right in front of her...where he belonged, standing right there beside her. "Samanosuke...," she mouthed as tears started to build up in her eyes. She ran to him, almost crushing him with the hug that now embraced him. _

_The sky continued to darken around them and lighting flashed in the distance lighting up the lonely beach. She looked up into his eyes all he did was smile back at her. That beautiful smile that she has longed to see again ever since that fateful day. It suddenly rushed back to her that he was dead and that he couldn't possibly be standing there in front of her. She losened her embrace on Smanosuke and backed away from him. "I'm sorry...I have to let go of you...I have other things that I have to worry about right now." Samnosuke nodded at her, turning into a mist. The wind carried the fine mist away along with the distraction that he has caused her. _

_She then wiped her red eyes with the sleeve of her kimono and started walking towards the boat that she saw. The wind starting blowing harder, blinding her with sand. Setsuna started to run towards the direction that the boat was on the beach. The storm grew more violentas she made her way towards the boat. She reached it and smiled weakly at the small triumph. She climbed into the boat and the storm grew somewhat calmer. She found an ore and pushed the boat away from the beach. The waves tossed the boat around violently, tossing it around like a toy. She tried as best she could to row towards the island that seemed so very far away with the weather in it's current state. The wind started to die down as she rowed closer to the shore of the island. _

_She reached the beach and climbed out of the boat just in time, for a lightning bolt struke the small wooden boat bursting into flames moments later. The storm calmed even more as she saw the object that she was looking for. It was still there after she had locked it away on this island, hoping never again to have to look for it's use. She walked up to the glass case and wiped the sand from off of it. She peared in, seeing that it was still there unharmed. She took a small key from her kimono sleeve and unlocked a big heavy steel lock. It opened with a click and fell into the sand. She opened the top of the glass box and took out the katana that was held within it. The storm suddenly stopped, the sky cleared and birds could be hear singing on the main land. _

_She smiled, happy to be holding the sword again in her hands. Setsuna walked towards the waters edge, stopped and touched the blade of the sword to the water. The water glowed a bright blue and she stepped out onto it. It was no longer water, it had turned to ice. She passed safely over it, seeing that Samanosuke had returned to standing on the beach. She smiled at him, "It will soon be over my love."_

_Setsuna opened her eyes. They slowly adjusted to the bright sunlight that filled the courtyard of the dojo. She could hear faint screaming coming from within the house. She oriented herself and looked around. No one was standing there. She looked into the clear blue sky, holding her hand over her eyes to shield them from the sun. "Soujiro you were right, no one can ever turn away from the sword or ever repress it's spirit within you." _


	16. Chapter Sixteen::Nightmares

Authors note:****

Nornal text = the present (See chapter one) 

**Bold = written articles: letters, newspaper clippings, etc.**

_Italic = the stuff that happened leading up to the stuff in normal text._ _(flash back)_

**_Bold/italic = Setsunas past_** **_(flash back)_**

**_~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~_**

_Setsuna sat on the floor, her legs drawn up to her chin, her arms wrapped around her knees. She didn't think that she would be having those nightmares again, but, she did. The horrible flashbacks of that day started to flow through her head. She shut her eyes tight trying to think of happy thoughts, something that would get rid of those evil memories. _

_This has crippled me for far too long...I can't let this get to me anymore. I have to be strong for Samanosuke...for myself. She picked herself off the floor and tied her hair back into a ponytail. She walked triumphantly out of the room with the boken in her hand. She headed out to the court yard, determined not to let anything stop her from preparing herself to face her fears. _

_She walked by the dojo where Kaoru was giving lessons to Yahiko. Kaoru caught a glimpse of her out of the corner of her eye and then walked over to the dojo doorway to see what she was up to. Setsuna got herself into a stance, but just stood there. Yahiko joined Kaoru's side, watching Setsuna along with her. _

_"What is she doing?"_

_"She is meditating to gather her sword spirit. Haven't you learned anything," Kauro asked the young boy with a hint of fire in her eyes._

_"Maybe if you weren't so ugly, I could pay attention to you more..."_

_"NANI?! Who are you calling ugly!! Come back here you little rat!"_

_Kaoru chased after Yahiko swinging the boken at him but missing. He ran out of the dojo and on to the walkway outside. He wized past Kenshin as he held a tray of tea. The tray raddled a bit but didn't fall. He sighed with relief until Kaoru came crashing by and knocked him to the floor. Everything fell from the tray breaking and spilling the tea all over. _

_"This hasn't been my week...," muttered Kenshin putting broken bits of cups and teapot onto the tray. He looked up and finaly noticed Setsuna standing there with a boken in her hands, meditating in the courtyard. He could feel it now. It was weak, but, her sword spirit was there. He finished picking up the broken pieces and walked back to the kitchen to dispose of them. _

_~~~~~_

_Setsuna walked across a deserted beach, the wind blowing her hair across her face blinding her momentarily. The clouds in the sky rushed over head as if late for something on the other side of the ocean. A small island was barely visible from where she stood looking out at the water. She squinted her eyes as sand blew around her. _

_She turned her attention to the beach as her gaze combed the edge of the water, looking for a way to get to the island without having to swim. The sky was starting to turn black and she knew that a storm was coming close. She spotted a boat farther down the shore and started to walk towards it in hope that it was still in a condition to sail. She heard a faint voice behind her, calling her name...calling to her to turn around and stop walking away. _

_Setsuna slowly peered over her shoulder and out of the corner of her eye she saw a person standing several yards from her. She turned her body around to face whoever was standing there. He was standing right in front of her...where he belonged, standing right there beside her. "Samanosuke...," she mouthed as tears started to build up in her eyes. She ran to him, almost crushing him with the hug that now embraced him. _

_The sky continued to darken around them and lighting flashed in the distance lighting up the lonely beach. She looked up into his eyes all he did was smile back at her. That beautiful smile that she has longed to see again ever since that fateful day. It suddenly rushed back to her that he was dead and that he couldn't possibly be standing there in front of her. She losened her embrace on Smanosuke and backed away from him. "I'm sorry...I have to let go of you...I have other things that I have to worry about right now." Samnosuke nodded at her, turning into a mist. The wild wind carried the lost memories away along with the distraction that he has caused her. _

_She then wiped her red eyes with the sleeve of her kimono and started walking towards the boat that she saw. The wind starting blowing harder, blinding her with sand. Setsuna started to run towards the direction that the boat was on the beach. The storm grew more violent as she made her way towards the boat. She reached it and smiled weakly at the small triumph. She climbed into the boat and the storm grew somewhat calmer. She found an ore and pushed the boat away from the beach. The waves tossed the boat around violently, tossing it around like a toy. She tried as best she could to row towards the island that seemed so very far away with the weather in it's current state. The wind started to die down as she rowed closer to the shore of the island. _

_She reached the beach and climbed out of the boat just in time, for a lightning bolt struck the small wooden boat bursting into flames moments later. The storm calmed even more as she saw the object that she was looking for. It was still there after she had locked it away on this island, hoping never again to have to look for it's use. She walked up to the glass case and wiped the sand from off of it. She peared in, seeing that it was still there unharmed. She took a small key from her kimono sleeve and unlocked a big heavy steel lock. It opened with a click and fell into the sand. She opened the top of the glass box and took out the katana that was held within it. The storm suddenly stopped, the sky cleared and birds could be hear singing on the main land. _

_She smiled, happy to be holding the sword again in her hands. Setsuna walked towards the waters edge, stopped and touched the blade of the sword to the water. The water glowed a bright blue and she stepped out onto it. It was no longer water, it had turned to ice. She passed safely over it, seeing that Samanosuke had returned to standing on the beach. She smiled at him, "It will soon be over my love."_

_Setsuna opened her eyes. They slowly adjusted to the bright sunlight that filled the courtyard of the dojo. She could hear faint screaming coming from within the house. She oriented herself and looked around. No one was standing there. She looked into the clear blue sky, holding her hand over her eyes to shield them from the sun. "Soujiro you were right, no one can ever turn away from the sword or ever repress it's spirit within you." _

_~~~~~_

_Sano sat in the doorway of his apartment drinking cheap sake and singing to a stray dog that lay at his feet. The morning sun beat down on his face making it apear redder then it actualy was. Mumbling to himself, he tipped the bottle back, drinking the last drops. He looked at the empty bottle, then down at the dog. "Hey dog...go fetch me another bottle."_

_The dog looked up at Sano with on ear cocked back with a confused look in his eyes. "You worthless flea bitten fur bag!" He threw the bottle at the poor dog, but missed horribly and hit another apartment door, breaking it. He didn't care at this point. Things were so complicated, he didn't want to make of them. He was feeling things that have never been there before. Things he was afraid of facing by himself. The only thing he was interested in was drowing his problems with sake or any other form of alcohol he could get...well, for free at this point. _

_Seeing that the dog was useless to him, he stood up and stumbled a few feet before giving up on walking and headed straight back to his apartment to go back to sleep. Drinking all that sake made him heavy and exhausted, or was it really the sake doing that? He stumbled into the doorway and colapsed onto his futon. His mind wandered to Setsuna again. He fumbled around under his pillow and found the comb that she had left with him. This is insane, he thought, how can one girl have me this crazy? He put the comb back under the pillow and drifted off into an uneasy sleep._

_~~~~~_

_Sano walked through the dead forest, seeing everything withered and dead all around him. The full moon shown down on the trail, showing him the way to nowhere. He didn't know where he was, he just knew he had to find Setsuna in all this darkness before it was too late for her. He started to feel panic over take him when he couldn't find her anywhere in the dark, not even the moon showing him the way to her. _

_He called out her name, hoping that she would be withing earshot to call back to him. All he heard was owls and his own echo answering his cries out to her. He stopped and rested on a dead log. He leaned on the log with his hands, feeling the slick wetness of water on it. He stood back up examining his hands seeing that it wasn't water that was on the log..._

_Sano looked abover the log to see a body of a man hanging by the neck with both of his wrists slashed, bleeding dropplets of blood onto the log below. He winced with pain at the wind blew the body around, showing the dark bruising on the side of his neck in the bright moonlight. Feeling that the same thing will happen to him if he stayed around for too long, he started walking down the never ending trail again. _

_"Sano...," a soft voice whispered from the dead bushed to his left. He stopped in his tracks, turning slowly towards the source of the voice. "Setsuna? Is that you?" He caustioulsy approached the dense bushes. _

_"Sano...," the voice whispered again, this time the wind carried it farther down the trail. He looked down the trail and saw someone run into the shadows, out of his sight. "Wait! Setsuna!"_

_He ran after her down the dirt trail. Twigs and plants grabbed at his clothes and tore open his flesh, making him bleed bright red blood. He came to an abrupt halt as the trail opened up to a large field. He walked out into the frield slowly, looking about in all directions. He heard a sudden noise and turned back towards the trail, seeing that it disappeared and now it was the river back home in Tokyo. _

_"Sano."_

_He turned to the voice to see Setsunas smiling face standing in front of him. She was dressed in a beautiful pale blue silk kimono with butterflies embroidered on it. Her hair was down with a big flower pinning up the left side. she held a purse in her hands. She opened it with the same smile, pulling out a katana. "I'm sorry Sano, it's for the best."_

_Hands burst from the ground beneath Sanos feet, grabbing his arms and legs, holding him in his place. "What the..." He struggled with all his strength to no avail. "Setsuna, please don't." Setsuna slowly walked forward to Sano and kissed his cheek. "No, don't do it!" She walked away from him to the middle of the field, unsheathed the sword, then stabbed herself through the heart. He couldn't even breathe, he couldn't even say anything. She was gone...taken away from him so fast..._

_He woke up from the nightmare screaming and drenched with cold sweat. He wiped his brow then sat up. He rubbed his stubbly face, then the real panic set in. What if it was real, what if she was really dead? He jumped to his feet, grabbed his shirt, then took off towards the dojo._

_The streets were busy with early morning shoppers. He was aggrivated by them being there hindering his mission to find out what that dream meant. He pushed his way through small clusters of people, not stopping to apologize to anyone. He reached the dojo and pushed the main doors open, storming in like a leader of an army. Setsuna looked up, startled by the noise. She stopped sipping her tea and smiled at Sano standing there. "Good moring," she called to him, waving him over. "Come have tea with me and Kenshin!"_

_He ran over to her as if she had died and come back to life...like a person he hadn't seen in years...like a lost lover he once again can embrace._

_"You're alive," he whispered as he grabbed her in his strong arms. "What...," Setsuna couldn't get a word out before Yahiko steped onto the porch._

_"I knew you had a thing for her. Mu mu mu mu," Yahiko made kissing noises at Sano then turned and ran for his life as the life sparked back into his eyes. "What did you say you little brat?!"_

_"Oro?" Kenshin watched the strangest things unfold in the past week...perhaps he should stop trying to figure things out. It made his head hurt something awful..._


	17. Chapter Seventeen::Race Against Time

Authors note:****

Nornal text = the present (See chapter one) 

**Bold = written articles: letters, newspaper clippings, etc.**

_Italic = the stuff that happened leading up to the stuff in normal text._ _(flash back)_

**_Bold/italic = Setsunas past_** **_(flash back)_**

**_~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~_**

_Setsuna cleaned up the tea dishes off the porch and brought them into the kitchen. She set the dishes in the sink. "I'll take care of that," said Kenshin walking in behind her. He pumped water into a bucket then poured it into a kettle over the cooking pit. The coal were still red hot from making the tea. _

_"Okay then. I'll go take a walk around town. It's such a nice day outside to waste it staying inside." She was about to walk out of the kitchen when Kenshin turned around to her, "Why don't you take Yahiko and Sanosuke with you? They need to get out of the dojo before they go insane...er...well...anymore then they are rather." He smiled at her as he tied his kimono sleeves back with a white cord. _

_"That sounds like a good idea." Setsuna walked out of the kitchen and followed the sound of the banter and ruckus that Sano and Yahiko were making in the courtyard. She smiled shaking her head at the two. They reminded her of two brothers teasing each other like they did. She knew that Sanosuke really must love Yahiko to not break him in two. Perhaps that also could be that a lot of people would pound on him if he ever did. Nevertheless, she stepped off the porch slipping into her zori and walked toward the fighting duo. _

_"Ehhh hem," she cleared her throat loudly, getting them to stop. They were in mid fight and it was rather amusing seeing Yahiko hanging off Sanosuke's shoulder, bitting his head as Sano tried to pry him off. She chuckled at the amusing scene. Sano plucked Yahiko from off him and set him on the ground. Yahiko stuck his tongue out at him then ran off towards the dojo. _

_"Well, I guess that's a no from him, so I'll ask you. Would you like to take a walk with me around town?" Her face lit up with a smile. The sun danced off her loose hair, making it shimmer like a thousands diamonds were entwined in it. "Sano....Sano?" He spaced out for a minute then blinked a few times. "Uh, sure."_

_"Great!" Her smile grew bigger as she wrapped her arm around his and walked them out of the courtyard of the dojo. Setsuna finally felt happy and at peace inside herself. She could finally say that Samanosuke didn't haunt her anymore, allowing her to accept that shecould love again...perhaps even love the man standing right next to her. _

_ ~~~~~_

_Sanosuke walked her down to the town outdoor marketplace. It was crowded beacuse of the beautiful weather. Children walked around laughing and playing with pinwheels. Setsuna stopped at a vendor selling fresh flowers. She bent over and smelled the red roses. "They smell so beautiful," she said to the shop keeper. "Where do you get such nice flowers?"_

_"I grow them on my land just outside of town," he said arranging some daisies in a clay vase then set it down on the display in the only empty spot at the top. Sano dug into his pockets, finding nothing other then pocket lint and a hole, swore to himself for not having any money to buy her a rose. They continued walking down the dirt street towards the river. They came to where the bridge was, instead of crossing it over the small creek that flowed from the larger river, Setsuna tugged on Sanos' hand toward the river bank. She sat down watching the sun light twinkle off the calm waters. She laid down and out strechted her arms. "The sun is so warm, I could just fall asleep right here for the rest of the day." _

_Sano walked over near where she lay in the grass, not knowing what to say to her. He knew that he had feelings for her, but, wasn't sure if it was his place to say anything to her after what he found out about her. Perhaps though, it was time that she finally did hear it from someone. Perhaps that's what she needs right now. An understanding person that can make her forget the hurt, pain and guilt that she suffered though. _

_"Setsuna," he started then cleared his troat, " I um...have something I need to talk to you about..." He nervously looked around the hill side wishing that he had thought this through better. He swallowed hard, scratching his head. He suddenly felt very itchy and hot. "Well, what it is Sanosuke," she asked him sitting up, tucking her legs under her. _

_"Well, I uh..." he rubbed the back of his neck and looked down at the grass near his feet. He was interrupted though by the sound of someone runnign down the hillside. "Setsuna! Setsuna is that you?!"_

_She looked up the hill, seeing her long lost friend running down the river bank toward her. He was covered with dust up to his knees and looked like he hadn't slept in days. "Soujiro-kun!" She jumped to her feet and ran to him. "What are you doing here, how did you find ..." She stopped herself. She knew. They found her. That would be the only reason he would be here. They were going to come to Tokyo and kill her. _

_"They know you're here. I'm sure that they are no more then a day behind me getting here. You have no time left in this place. You have to leave at once." He flopped onto the grass trying to catch his breath, then noticing Sano standing there with a bitter hate glowing in his eyes._

_"She doesn't need to leave. She's staying with Kenshin and he promised to keep her safe..."_

_"It doesn't matter if Kenshin is watching over me Sanosuke, not even the Battousai could stop what is coming here. You have no idea what these men are capable of. I've studied so many sword forms I can't name them all, yet I am still no match for Him." Setsuna looked into Sanos' eyes with fright and panic looking back. He didn't want to lose her, not now. He finally found someone that he could love. She can't leave...he had to do anything he could to keep her in Tokyo...keep her safe from anything that dare try to hurt her. _

_"Look, why don't we go back to the dojo and talk with Kenshin about all this. Maybe he can help you out anyway." Soujiro picked himself up off the grass. They all started the walk back to the dojo, hoping that something could be thought of so Setsuna could finally stop running._

_ ~~~~~_

_Kenshin sat there silently, contemplating what they could do for Setsuna. His options where limited after hearing about this Man from Setsuna and Soujiro. Aparently it was the same man that had her husband killed and the attempt at Setsunas. _

_"If she runs, who's to say that they aren't already here? Maybe they got here before Soujiro did. It could be risky leaving town, even by the less traveled roads at night. I think that we should just stay here, keep things quite and see what happens." Kenshin looked around the room and the nervous people listening to him talk. Setsuna gave him a nod, got up and walked out of the room. "I can't guarantee anything though Sanosuke, you need to know this. Whoever this Man is, he sounds like someone I've heard stories about. I didn't think they even could be true. I remember them from the days of the war. Apparently at the end, the rebels became desperate enough to pay for the best assassin in all of Japan with blood money. The general that hired him, let the assassin use all of his men, all 108, for live practice dummies. That was all the Man asked for as payment. He disappeared as I did after the war ended. I didn't think that he was still alive, but, then again...after hearing this...there wouldn't have been anyway that he could have been killed."_

_Sanosuke sat there quite. He didn't want to believe it. There could be no one stronger then Kenshin. No one! It was inconceivable, totally impossible. He stood up violently, "I won't believe that there is no chance of saving her! I won't! Even if I have to die so she can live, I'll make sure that she won't have to end up like her husband!" He stormed out of the room, breaking the door in the process._

_ ~~~~~_

_That night everyone was jumpy and alert to every sound around the house. Sanosuke insisted on sleeping outside of Setsunas doorway. Kaoru wasn't happy about the idea, since her room was right next to Setsunas. "If I trip over you're feet in the middle of the night trying to get to the toilet, I'm going to ring your rooster neck!" She stormed off to her room to go to bed. Setsuna giggled at the scene, poking her head out the sliding door. _

_"You know, you're going to be cold sleeping on the floor like that. Take this blanket to wrap up in atleast." She smiled warmly at him, then threw the blanket over his head, laughed at him then retreated to her futon._


	18. Chapter Eighteen::Owari

Authors note: 

Nornal text the present (See chapter one) 

Bold **written articles: letters, newspaper clippings, etc.**

Italic _the stuff that happened leading up to the stuff in normal text_.(flash back) 

Bold/italic **_Setsunas past_** (flash back) 

_That night everyone was jumpy and alert to every sound around the house. Sanosuke insisted on sleeping outside of Setsunas doorway. Kaoru wasn't happy about the idea, since her room was right next to Setsunas. "If I trip over you're feet in the middle of the night trying to get to the toilet, I'm going to ring your rooster neck!" She stormed off to her room to go to bed. Setsuna giggled at the scene, poking her head out the sliding door. _

_"You know, you're going to be cold sleeping on the floor like that. Take this blanket to wrap up in atleast." She smiled warmly at him, then threw the blanket over his head, giggles at him then retreated to her futon. She snuggled in under the blanket, not bothering to put the candle out next to her. She stared at the ceiling, watching the flicker of the candle flame dance across it. Crickets chirped loudly from out side her window, lulling her to fall asleep. She passed into a light sleep. She was done running now. _

_He walked out of the shadows into dim moon light to check his pocket watch. The time was 3:05 AM. He closed the watch and placed it back into the pocket of his vest, then stepped into the street. He made a hand gesture waving a group of men out of various hiding places around the dojos walls. "I want to make this quick gentlemen. I have overstayed my time in Tokyo and wish to return to Kyoto this evening. Kyoshi, the door please." A black figure jumped the tall fence that lined the dojo and with a click, unlatched the heavy wooden door. The tall well dressed man walked through the door, Kyoshi following behind after closing the door. All the other men went back into hiding in various spots on the dojos grounds. _

_The man walked up to the dojo and without removing his shoes, entered the first door he could find. "SETSUNA! I know you're here. Come out peacefully and your comrades won't be hurt!" Sanosuke woke up instatnly, sitting up. He heard footsteps clicking through a part of the building, amking his heart race. He scrabled to his feet and through open Setsunas door, finding only an empty futon and a broken window. He turned around to see Kenshin standing in the door way. "She's gone and she's taken my sakabatou. I only hope that they will not find her before we do. Take Kaoru and Yahiko and hide someplace. I'm going to see if I can deal with them." He took off towards the footsteps as Sanosuke ran to the next room to wake Kaoru._

_Setsuna came out of hiding from the branches of a cherry tree, landing without a sound. She grabbed the hilt of the sakabatou, thinking that she would be no match for anyone with a reverse blade sword. She listened for anything, looked all around her, then sprinted towards an alley. It wouldn't take long for them to realise that she had left the dojo hours ago, but then again that would have been her only way to get out of there without them seeing her. A kunai flew past her head, embedding itself into a wall. That's when she knew that she hadn't been fast enough to get to the river. She drew her sword, beckoning the black cloaked man to come at her. He jumped down from the roof of one of the buildings making up the alley, and drew a set of saiis. The last thing that he saw was the psychotic smile on her face._

_Sanosuke ran out of the dojo towards the gate to the street. Yahiko rode on his shoulders with Kaoru running along side him. Strangely enough, there was no one jumpping out to ambush them, nor anyone even out in the streets. Sano disregarded the quiet and ran them towards his destination near the river. He knew that they could hide out in the small Buddhist shrine near there. _

_Kenshin ran down a corridor, turned a sharp corner, and was face to face to the man after Setsuna. "Sorry to bother the household at this ungodly hour of the night sir, but, I have some business to attend to with Setsuna-San." _

_"I'm sorry, but she isn't currently here, maybe I can be of some assistance to you," Kenshin said trying not to spit acid. "I'm sorry, but I only have bussiness with Setsuna-San. I really don't want to waste anymore of my time in Tokyo. Kyoshi will answer any questions you may have with his kunai." The well dressed man turned his back on Kenshin and started towards the front of the dojo to leave. _

_Kyoshi lunged at Kenshin with a dagger in his hand. He dogged his attack, retreating into the training room. He grabbed a boken off the sword rack and returned his attack swiftly, dealing a blow that knocked Kyoshi out cold. "Any business you have with Setsuna-Dono, is now my business," he stated belting the boken and running towards the man in the suit, hoping to stop him before he got to Setsuna. _

_He burst out of the dojo gate, finding only an empty street, no sign of anyone walking in either direction. Kenshin didn't know where to start searching, so he turned left, heading towards the river end of Tokyo._

_The Man already knew where Setsuna was headed. He had been watching her for the past 24 hours before he met with his men. She had set up a boat by the river with some supplies to escape to another town. Of course this wouldn't work since he already had men out in the city making sure that if she did escape unnoticed by her friends, she wouldn't get too far from Tokyo. He checked his pocket watch again in the moonlight, then closed it, smiling. He was ahead of schedule. Now all he needed to do was wait for Setsuna to make a run to the boat that no longer existed. _

_Setsuna peeked around the corner of the alleyway, giving herself the all clear, she ran swiftly towards the river bank, staying in the shadows as best she could. Her eyes darted from roof to roof trying to keep alert in case of another assult. She could see the shine of the river from where she was, knowing that she was close to getting away from Tokyo. _

_She stopped at the last building before the road that runs in front of the river, looking all around, hiding in the buildings' darkness. It was too quiet, too still. He had to know that she was here, know that she set up the boat to escape. She felt him watching her for the past day, and even now his evil eyes gazed upon her. She stepped out into the moonlight, drawing her sakabatou. She cautiously walked down to the edge of the river, the cool damp grass soaking the bottom legs of her hakama._

_"I know you're here Shintoku. Come out of hiding like a coward." She squinted and moved her gaze slowly around the surrounding area. Setsuna knew that he wasn't going to leave here unless one of them were dead. She heard distant running footsteps, but they were too late. A single shot rang out, letting go of the sick silence that had overtaken them. _

_Sanosuke ran out into the open in time to she blood fly from Setsunas body, then landing in the grass with a soft thud. Shintoku and his men emerged from the shadows almost if they were rendered invisible. Sanosuke knowing that there was nothing he could do for her if he got himself killed, ignored his anger towards the man leaving, ran to Setsunas side. He picked up her heavy wet, clutching her to his chest and sobbing. She opened her eyes slightly, a smile forming on her lips. "I'm so glad... you... found me... Sanosuke...san." Her breathing was labored, blood trickled from the side of her mouth. She closed her eyes and continued to speak to him, "I just... needed you to know... that I... love you..." Her labored breathing stopped. She didn't open her eyes again._

_Sanosuke shook her hard, yelling in her face to wake up, but no sound or movement came from her. He looked up and it was if the man and his gang disapeared into the night. Sanosuke couldn't believe that just like that she had been shot in the heart and killed. Taken away from him forever._

_In a daze, he picked up her body and started the walk to see Megumi at the clinic. The only thing going through his head was that he was stupid and didn't know that she was just knocked out, Megumi would help her. He picked his pace up to a run, running right past Kenshin, not even seeing his friend, nor hearing him calling out to him. His vision became funneled, seeing only the path directly in front of him, yet hearing nothing. He came to the clinic out of breath, tearing the door open. _

_"MEGUMI! MEGUMI!" He ran to the back of the clinic and put Setsuna on a examining table, then continued to call for Megumi, throwing open doors until he found her half asleep in one of the hallways. "She isn't waking up Megumi, you have to help her!" He grabbed the sleepy doctor by the arm and dragged her to the other end of the clinic. She shoved her in the door, like an eager child showing off something. Megumi grabbed her stethoscope, and searched for a heartbeat, finding nothing, she put them down and turned to Sanosuke with a sad look in her eyes. "I'm sorry Sanosuke-san... She's gone."_

_"No, that can't be true... She can't die... I never told her... I never got a chance to tell her how I loved her..." His eyes glazed over with disbelief, and slumped his body against the wall. "This just can't be true." Tears streamed down his face. Megumi crouched down next to him, hugging him tightly. There wasn't much that she could do for him. She stood back up and found a crisp white sheet in the linen closet, then covered Setsunas body with it. _

_Footsteps came from the front hall, "Megumi, Sano?" Kenshin had finally caught up with Sano and had entered the already open front door. Megumi glanced back at Sanosuke as she left the exam room to greet Kenshin. "I'm sorry to have to tell you this Ken-San, but, Setsuna has passed on. A single bullet wound to the chest. There was no chance of doing anything to save her even if I was standing right next to her." Kenshin nodded in response, then walked over to the exam room that Megumi had came from. Sano sat on the floor staring at the body on the table. A small patch of blood had already started to soak the linen covering her. _

_"Don't worry Sano, she's in a place now that is free of pain. I'm sure that her Husband is taking care of her again. I also know that there is probably nothing that I can say to you right now that is going to ease the pain you have. But just know that we're all here for you and we will try and help you out as best we can." Sano didn't reply or even acknowledge Kenshin. He left the room and closed the door behind him. _

_Kenshin approached Megumi with a grave look on his face, "I'm going to the shrine to bring a priest back here. I'll be back in an hour or so. I'll try to give Sano as much time as I can though." He left the clinic into the now still night air, half expecting to see a crowd of people outside or perhaps the police... no one stood in the street. Kenshin sighed, looking up at the moon. Another innocent person has been taken by evil in this world and he couldn't prevent it. That's when he remembered that he need to go back to the river and retrieve his sakabatou. The shrine was on the way, so he would circle back and stop at the shrine after getting his sword back. _

_Kenshin sat outside the shrine with Kaoru sitting on the steps with him. They gazed at the stars together in silence, waiting for the priests to return with Setsunas body. "I barely knew her, but, I know she didn't deserve to die like that," Kaoru said, tears filling the corners of her eyes. "She was so nice once I got to know her. I just wish I could have gotten to know her well enough to call her my friend." _

_"I know Kaoru-dono. She didn't have to be put through all of this, but, things happen all the time that you can't do anything about." He put his arm around her shoulders, hugging her tight. He heard the distant chimes of the priests staffs, getting up to get out of the way. They walked up the road in a solemn parade, carring a gurney with Setsunas body on it. Of all people following close behind was Soujiro. Sanosuke was no where in sight. Kenshin knew that all of this just must have been too much for him. Kaoru and Kenshin watched as they disappeared into the temple to start to prepare the body to be cremated. _

_"We should probably head home Kaoru-dono, there is nothing that we can do now." He tugged gently on Kaoru's sleeve, then headed home._

_The priests put Setsunas body on the floor in front of the shrine in the main room. Soujiro handed the head priest a letter explaining what he had to do, it being signed by a monk from the monastery that he stopped at. He took out a stack of books and a bag of herbs then begain the ritual he hoped that he would never have to perform on anyone._

_Sanosuke walked back to his rented room, slid open the door, tossed his coat on the floor and passed out into a very uneasy sleep. the nightmare of that night kept playing in his mind over and over again. He woke up in a cold sweat around 7:00pm the next evening, having no other way to deal with the tragedy that just happened. He rolled off the futon, grabbed his jacket, then walked down to the Akebeko. He needed to be someplace where there was some type of happiness. Perhaps that would get him into a better mood... get his mind off what happened. A starlit sky greeted him as he walked out into the street._

Sano sat alone at a table in the rear of the Akabeko sipping on sake in a world of his own. It was near closing and Tae was making sure that the customers were clearing out without giving the girls any problems. She hurried by Sano after the last customer left, took the curtain down from over the outside of the door and locked it. She slowly walked over to where Sano sat by himself lost deep in his own thoughts. She hesitated for a moment, said nothing, then wraped a comforting arm around his shoulders and gave him a squeeze. "Don't worry about the sake tonight Sano, it's on the house," she said giving him a warm smile. He stared ahead not even acknowledging that Tae had her arm around his shoulders or was even talking to him. She took her arm from around him and walked over to Tsubame, told her to bring Sano another bottle of sake, then continued to the back of the restaurant. 

Tsubame lagged behind Tae, heading to the kitchen. She looked around, saw that the cooks already went home, then walked over to the area where the sake bottles were being warmed. She picked one out, put it on a tray then walked over to the tea counter and picked up some cookies. She smiled to herself thinking that he may be grateful for at least something sweet. 

She returned to the main part of the restaurant, careful not to spill any sake or loose a cookie. She greeted Sano with a warm smile as she put the tray onto the table. "Here, let me clear this stuff up for you," she said taking the empty bottles from the table. He didn't react, just sat there staring sipping on his sake. Her smile didn't waver one bit as she turned to bring the bottle back to the kitchen area. Her face lost it's smile when she brought to bottles over the young man washing the last of the dishes. Sano hadn't moved from that spot since he walked into the Akabeko three hours ago. 

She returned to Sanos table as he reached for the new bottle she had brought out to him, "Please, let me pour it for you," she said smiling warmly again. He looked up briefly to her face and nodded to her in response putting his left hand back into his lap. She poured him another cup as Tae came back from checking on everything in the back of the restaurant. She carried a bucket with rags and started to wipe down all the tables. A few other girls emerged from the back of the restaurant with brooms and cloths to wipe the floor down with. 

Tsubame sat herself down across from Sano looking into his face that seemed to be covered with darkness so thick she couldn't see anything but. He looked up briefly when the sound of something breaking was heard from the back of the Akabeko. "Gomenasai Makoto," was heard faintly and everyone went back to cleaning and Sano was back into his dark shadows. 

"Sano, please have one of the cookies I brought out for you. You should try and eat something," she said, her smile fading slightly. Tsubame looked at him with worry on her face then slipped from out of the booth so she could help clean. Sano just sat there staring, not seeing anything that was going on in front of him. 

The girls chatted about things that went on during the day, nothing much, just how slow the day had been, or how much each girl had made for the day. Two of the older girls talked about walking home together. Tsubame helped with wiping down the floors and they were done ten minutes later. 

Tae walked over to Sano, and though she hated to do it, had to ask him to leave so the girls could all go home. 

"Eeeto...," she started, hesitating to have to do it. Sano looked up with glazed over eyes in response. "Sanosuke-san...We will be all leaving for the night and I have to escort Tsubame-chan home so...," she didn't finish what she was going to say because Sano got out from where he was sitting, put his hands in his pockets and started for the back of the Akabeko to leave out the backdoor. Tae followed him to the back with a worried look on her face and saw him out. She walked back to where the girls where putting the chairs up off the floor for the night and walked over to Tsubame. She bent over slightly and whispered into her ear, "Go to the dojo. Tell Kenshin he has left here." Tsubame nodded in response and followed Tae to the front door, where she unlocked it for the small girl to run to the dojo to tell Kenshin what was happening. 

Kenshin paced around the room thinking to himself that Sano would be okay, he was with Tae right now. At least he knew where he was. Although that was true, he couldn't sleep. His night robe made a soft swishing sound as he paced around thinking that there should have been something that he could have done to prevent this from happening. He walked over to his futon, picked up his kimono and decided to go to the Akabeko to see how Sano was doing. He dressed as quick as he possibly could, and put his hair back into a low ponytail. 

He walked out of the room and proceeded to walk out to the courtyard of the dojo when he heard faint knocking on the front gate. He found his zori sandals and ran to see who it was hoping that it wasn't bad news about Sano. There were only three people that knew what happened, he being one of them. Kaoru and Yahiko had gone on a small trip with Megumi and wouldn't be back until tomorrow. They had gone away to Kyoto to visit with Misao and to have a small outing to get some supplies for the medical clinic. Megumi insisted that Kyoto had this one special thing that she had to go there to get, so it turned into a short vacation for the three of them. 

Kenshin hastily unlocked the door in the brightly shinning moonlight that hung all around him making things sluggish and odd with shadows. Tsubame stood before him holding no lantern and still wearing her Akabeko uniform. He knew it then, Sano had left there. 

"Do you know where he was headed," Kenshin asked turning around to go back to his room for his sword, not giving a chance for Tsubame to speak. 

"He didn't say one word Himura-san. He said hardly anything to Tae the entire time he was there." 

He let his zori fall off in a untidy heap and made a dash for his quarters, scooped his sword up and put it into his hakama pants belt as he stepped back into his sandals. "Which direction did he go in?" 

Tsubame thought for a moment trying to get her bearings, "Eeeto...I think he went West." 

Kenshin thought for a moment about what was West of the Akabeko and decided he must of headed home. "Arigato Tsubame-chan. You have been a big help with this whole thing. Shittireishimasu." He half ran half jogged to the part of town where Sanos one room housing was located. He passed by a few drunks, none of them Sano. He came to his place and saw no light on inside, then proceeded inside to see if he was home or not. 

Sano walked down the deserted street looking down at his feet with his hands in his pockets. He looked up into the night sky just as the silent tears started to blur his vision. He swore under his breath at himself and violently wiped the tears away. 

A man watched the scene play out from a dark alleyway, contemplating to himself if getting himself beat by a man like that was worth the few yen he may win from the bloody fight. He slinked back into the darkness, deciding that a weaker looking person was more his type. 

Sano walked on stumbling here and there from his own emotional unstability rather then too much to drink. He walked out onto one of the main roads that ran parallel to the river and made his way over to the soft inviting grass near the banks of it. He sat by the river watching the fireflies cast small bursts of light that bounced off the water like stars. He wouldn't let it bother him...but...it had gotten him worse off and unprepared for it in the end. Silent tears ran down his face again as he finally let his emotions go. They dripped off his chin like rain water. He didn't bother to wipe them away, that would just make it more obvious that he was crying. 

Right about now, he thought, watching two fireflies blink through the air, blurred by his tears, Kenshin is probably at my place looking for me. 

He stood up and walked further up stream. He didn't want him to find out where he was. He didn't need Kenshin around him right now. He didn't care how much he knew what he was going through. He needed this time to himself to contemplate what he was going to do. He knew it was all his fault anyway. All of the blame was on him and he just had to clear his head before it ate him alive. Her last words droned into him like a hot knife. He shook his head violently trying to get them out. 

Kenshin yelled out, "Please excuse me, I'm coming in," then opened the sliding door to Sanos one room bachelor pad. He looked around in the little visibility there was, and saw that no one was there. He frowned and walked back out of the apartment, closed the door then sat down in front of it thinking where to look next. 

Kenshin stood up from the dust covered ground and knocked the dirt from his kimono and hakama. He decided he needed to just patrol the parts of Tokyo that Sano often visited. He wondered if he may have gone to the cemetery on the outskirts of town, so that seemed to be the best place to start. 

Clouds started to slowly cover the bright full moon dimming the only light that he had to go by. He looked up at the sky briefly, then turned his gaze back to the road ahead of himself. The sounds of crickets and cicada filled his ears as he walked down the deserted road. He pulled the pocket watch, which Kaoru gave him for his Birthday, out of his left kimono sleeve and checked the time. It was now 12:13 AM. He remembered what she had said to him as he opened the box, "Maybe now that you know what time of day it is you'll remember MY Birthday." He all about fell over after she said that. It wasn't his fault he couldn't remember dates. 

A small smile crossed his face as his mind wandered from the pressing matter at hand to Kaoru now away in Kyoto. He shook the pleasant thoughts from his head and tried to get his focus back onto finding Sano. He walked out to the main road that ran parallel with the river and turned to the left, unknowingly in the opposite direction his friend had gonein. 

Sanosuke walked far into the East end of town without realizing where he had wandered to. This was the end of Tokyo that the cemetery was located. Setsuna had been burried in the early morning by the priests at the temple. He was upset that they hadn't let anyone attend the ceremony, but, there was little that he could do now. Spotting some wild flowers growing on the side of the road, he decided to go visit her new grave site to pay his respects by himself. 

Sano picked the flowers and entered the graveyard. Large headstones and name plaques lined the narrow walkway. He walked by a small shrine, a small candle flickered in the mirror within it. He walked to the back of the cemetery to find the new gravestone with Setsunas name on it. He placed the flowers on her grave, knelt, then begain to pray. All he could do now was hope that she was in a peaceful place. Some where that she could be happy without fear, without pain or suffering alongside her husband and child that passed before her. 

"Why do you look amung the dead for the living, I should ask... but then again, if you knew that who you look for is still yet alive, you wouldn't be here praying before a false grave." Sanosuke looked over his shoulder to see a smiling Soujiro stadning there. "You see, there are certain things I learned in my years of wandering after Shishio-San died. I studied forbidden arts at a monistary and have been able to revive Setsuna from eternal sleep. The price she pays for that though, is immortality. I have performed the rites that allow her body to become one with 'blood worms'. They have sacrificed themselves so that she may live. So, you both have two choices. One choice is that she drinks a certain poison that kills the blood worms, but possibly at the cost of her life once more, or, that you also become immortal. Perhaps this question is best answered in her pressence. She's at the Buddhist shrine where she was taken the other night. Setsuna waits for you there." 

Without hesitation, Sano ran out of the cemetery towards the Shrine. His lungs burned and his muscles fatigued for running the entire way there. He ran up the stairs, barely able to breathe, and burst through the door. Setsuna sat in the main room, dressed in a bright red robe with white butterflies emblazoned on it. Her hair was neatly tied in a bun, decorated with beautiful gold ornaments. She dropped her teacup, sending it crashing to the floor and breaking. She ran to Sanosuke and hugged him like this is the first time she had seen him in years. He returned the hug, almost crushing her ribs. 

"I'm going to be okay...the blood worms have been flushed out of my body and nothing happened to me. We'll be able to be together now. Everyone things I'm dead... perhaps now I can live in peace." 

"Setsuna, you don't have to worry about that, because I'll protect you now... no matter what. I'll make sure that we can live in peace here." Sanosuke looked deep into her eyes and smiled. It was over finally. There was finally happiness in Setsuna's eyes. Finally peace in her heart. No need to worry or run away from town to town...no reason to anymore. 

"Let's get back to the dojo. I'm sure everyone will be happy to see that everything is going to be okay now." Setsuna smiled a big grin, taking Sanosuke by the hand and leading him out the door. They walked down the quiet dark streets together holding hands, laughing and smiling together. 

Sanosuke approched the dojo door first, opening it to let Setsuna in first. "Okairinasai." Setsuna looked up at Sanosuke with a peacful smile, "Tadaima." She was finally home. 

**Okairinasai**- Welcome Home/Welcome Back 

**Tadaima**- I'm home/I'm back 


End file.
